Tag: devin singletary

Bills have AFC East’s best ‘triples’ on offense

NFL.com ranks the Buffalo Bills’ “triplets” on offense, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Devin Singletary.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is looking to take another step forward in his development as a pro in 2020. But the other parts of the Bills’ “triplets” on offense help Buffalo’s trio ranks as the best the AFC East has to offer.

But first, what are triplets? You could probably guess, but this one comes from NFL.com. The outlet used the term to describe a team’s quarterback, No. 1 wide receiver and running back combination.

In regard to the Bills, their No. 21 overall mark put them as the top-grouping in the division. Here’s the breakdown on the Bills’ triplets via Ali Bhanpuri:

Loved the Bills’ aggressive trade for Diggs. He immediately adds a jolt to Buffalo’s receiving corps, giving the rocket-armed Allen one of the game’s premier big-play threats. When at optimal form, Allen’s far better than this ranking. It’s those sub-optimal performances that give me major pause. Singletary flashed feature-back potential as a rookie, tying for eighth among running backs in scrimmage yards per touch (min. 150 touches) while owning a solid 0.4 rushing yards above expected, per Next Gen Stats. He’s at least a few spots higher than his minimal accomplishments might warrant, but like my colleague MJD, I have high expectations for the elusive second-year player in the Bills’ RB-driven offense.

The rest of the AFC East brings up the rear of the NFL, essentially. The Patriots slot in at No. 26, while the Dolphins are at 28. The Jets land at the second-worst mark. While pointing out the Bills are, in fact, the best triplets in the division, it’s not a high bar. Buffalo should be hoping their triplets finish the 2020 season ranked a lot higher than No. 21. That will depend on Allen.

Each of the triplets have individual grades, too. Singletary and Diggs rank at No. 14 and 15 for their positions, respectively. Allen’s back at 23. To become near the best of the best, it still looks like the Bills have a long ways to go, though. The Chiefs edge out the Saints for the top spot, two teams much further ahead of the Bills in the triplets department.

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Best of the AFC East: Close race for top RB group

2020 Best of the AFC East: tight competition ahead for top RBs in division

The AFC East is home to some impressive running backs. The NFL has trended toward running back duos over the bell-cow backs in recent years, so really your No. 2 running back is more of a No. 1B at times.

Ranking the backfields of AFC East teams is quite a challenge. There’s no overall studs like Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott. But these guys ca play.

Le’Veon Bell, who signed a massive four-year deal with the Jets, is arguably the most talented back. The Patriots have a good complementary system. The Bills have an explosive young, talent in the backfield. The Dolphins, for their part, have used free agency to rebuild their running back corps this offseason.

For the backfield strength of each team, though, a question lingers in each.

On any given day, one of these units can take the top spot. But as of now, how do we see it heading into 2020 season?

Here’s our the ranking of the AFC East’s backfields:

Patriots running back Sony Michel. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots strike an ideal balance with their backfield. Sony Michel is the primary runner, while James White is a matchup nightmare in the receiving game. Michel led the AFC East with 912 rushing yards, while White led all running backs in the division with 72 receptions. Rex Burkhead restructured his contract this offseason to also return in 2020 to help the Pats feature a trio-attack of experience.

Michel averaged 3.8 yards per carry last year, which was not stellar. However, he did carry the load during times when Tom Brady was showing his age. White, while not putting up the catch totals of his breakout 2018 season (87 receptions), is still a prominent part of the team’s short and intermediate passing attack. Michel had foot surgery in May and is currently on the PUP list. However, he should be back to form for the season.

The duo may benefit (gasp!) from having Cam Newton as the quarterback. Newton, while banged up at times over the past few seasons, will still work to run the ball. This option will force defenses to consider a more agile quarterback. Center David Andrews also returns from injury, but right tackle Marcus Cannon did opt out. Still it’s an overall strong O-line and even though the Patriots running backs aren’t high on your fantasy football charts, as an overall, experiences group, it’s a talented one.

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Eagles’ Miles Sanders among second-year running backs set for breakout season in 2020

Miles Sanders among running backs set for a breakout season in 2020

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Josh Jacobs was the big name rookie running back in the NFL last season and he didn’t disappoint, as the Las Vegas Raiders star finished his rookie season with 1,150 rushing yards and was second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Jacobs did most of his damage early on, while a star was born in Philadelphia, as Miles Sanders came on after Jordan Howard’s injury and paired with Carson Wentz to help carry the Eagles offense into the playoffs.

Sanders is preparing for an MVP season and one former NFL running back believes the Eagles star will have a breakout campaign. Maurice Jones-Drew is an analyst for NFL.com and recently broke down three second-year running backs set for breakout seasons.

Sanders made the list, joined by the Bills Devin Singletary and the Bears David Montgomery.

Miles Sanders
Philadelphia Eagles · RB
Year 1: 16 games | 179 att | 818 rush yds | 4.6 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 50 rec | 509 rec yds | 3 rec TDs

Sanders played well behind an Eagles’ offensive line that was among the best in the league in run-blocking in 2019. With 38-year-old veteran Jason Peters swinging inside to take over for injured guard Brandon Brooks, the second-year running back will have to do more and create more lanes on his own. The Eagles have shuffled through running backs over the last five seasons, so the pressure is on Sanders to solidify himself as a mainstay in the backfield. If he doesn’t, the Eagles will have no issue moving on, like they’ve done in the past. That should be a big motivator for Sanders. I think he’ll rise to the challenge, even with the Eagles adding to the passing game this offseason in an effort to get Carson Wentz back to the MVP form he displayed in 2017 before his season-ending knee injury. That said, I predict Sanders will earn 1,500 scrimmage yards, including 1,000 rushing yards (which would make him Philly’s first 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2014) and 10 total TDs.

Sanders could be the running back that finally allows the Eagles to do away with their running back by committee approach. Sanders has the potential to be a top-10 running back in 2020 and if he can avoid nagging injuries, could push for 1,000+ yards rushing and receiving.

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ESPN predicts Bills see more Devin Singletary over Zack Moss

ESPN’s bold prediction for the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills added a third-round running back with their third-round running back this offseason.

Devin Singletary took the NFL by storm last season. After a slow start, he had 775 rushing yards in 12 games played. In a full 16-game slate (hamstring injury), Singletary easily could’ve seen the 1,000-yard plateau.

Still, the Bills brought in Zack Moss, as mentioned, via a third-round pick in the recent draft, a year after Buffalo did the same with Singletary. While there’s certainly a spot for Moss without Frank Gore in the fold anymore, there’s still some questioning as to how things will shake out.

Will it be a 50/50 split? Will it be more Moss, even? The world-wide leader doesn’t think so. In fact, in ESPN’s “bold predictions” for each team in 2020, Singletary “dominating” snaps for the Bills:

The team’s leading returning rusher, Singletary is poised to blossom in his second NFL season — despite the fact that Buffalo drafted running back Zack Moss in the third round this year. The two should split carries during training camp, but Singletary’s experience and effectiveness in Brian Daboll’s system will quickly set him apart from the rookie as the Bills’ featured back.

Singletary’s experience in Daboll’s system is very important. For reference, look at the Bills… just last season. While Gore was also entering his first season under Daboll in 2019 like Singletary, he was clearly a much more seasoned vet. Early last season, Gore saw more touches. Eventually Singletary got involved more, but it’s easy to envision a similar circumstance playing out, especially with the COVID-19 offseason the NFL is undergoing.

Typically, Moss would see some experience in the preseason. None of that ahead of opening day for the rookie. He’ll still get some work in against the Jets during the Bills opener, but expect it to be minimum for that outing and the first few. Eventually things could start to even out, but still expect more Singletary this upcoming season in its entirety.

Other bold predictions for the Bills could include who replaces Star Lotulelei/ Jon Feliciano as starters, or who wins the No. 2 cornerback battle. Could Levi Wallace upset Josh Norman?

 

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LOOK: Bills arrived at training camp over the weekend

Stefon Diggs, Devin Singletary, other Bills players arrive at 2020 training camp over weekend.

The Buffalo Bills began their 2020 training camp over the weekend, in a slow and steady fashion. Players had already conducted some safety precautions with the team, such as being tested for COVID-19, last week.

But over the past few days, new veteran fans and ones from last year’s roster returned to the team’s facility over the weekend. While the players were entering the team’s HQ in Orchard Park for this year’s camp, the Bills took to social media to show it off.

Here’s video of Stefon Diggs’ first steps into the building:

Diggs wasn’t alone, of course. Other veterans arriving included running back Devin Singletary, lineman Dion Dawkins, amongst others:

 

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Bills’ Devin Singletary has elite elusiveness says PFF

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary is elite says Pro Football Focus.

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The Buffalo Bills were confident enough to let running back LeSean McCoy go ahead of the 2019 season. Many were curious as to why. But once rookie rusher Devin Singletary took off, nobody questioned it.

McCoy is talented and was a elite player at making defenders miss. As McCoy would say, he could “cut on a dime.” Well, so can Singletary we eventually found out, and the Bills will hopefully have that skill in their backfield a long, long time.

Digging deeper into that, the Bills really, really hope Singletary continues to show on the field that he’s elite in one Pro Football Focus statistic throughout his career. That statistic is causing defenders to miss.

The football analytics outlet released a list of the top running backs at causing missed tackles in the NFL in 2019. Singletary’s is among, and above, some of the best in the entire league. Per PFF, Singletary caused the third-most missed tackles on average in 2019, a total of 0.24 missed tackles per attempt.

The only two rushers ahead of Singletary’s output was the Saints’ Alvin Kamara (0.25) and the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs (0.29). Running backs Singletary outranks includes the Chargers’ Austin Ekeler at 0.23, while a tie at 0.22 is found between the Browns’ Nick Chubb and Seahawks’ Chris Carson.

Those are all some of the best in the business. But could things be even better for the Bills as a team in this category next season? Some signs are pointing to yes.

After hitting on Singletary in the third round of the 2019 draft, the Bills made it back-to-back rushers in that round in 2020. Buffalo grabbed Zack Moss. Both of these guys are elite at breaking tackles in their own right. Moss was among the best ankle-breakers in college football during his entire career at Utah. Per PFF: “Moss has a similar college profile as Singletary, ranking just above him with 0.30 missed tackles forced per attempt during his college career.”

This duo could cause some stacked boxes by opposing defenses against them in 2020, or maybe because of Stefon Diggs will cause the opposite. If you follow, you can see there’s reason for excitement and optimism in regard to the Bills offense in 2020.

 

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Analytics predict Devin Singletary as Bills’ most-improved player

Buffalo Bills RB Devin Singletary could be the team’s most-improved player says NFL.com

As a whole, the entire Buffalo Bills offensive might be looking at an improved season in 2020. Stefon Diggs’ addition to the group could directly affect quarterback Josh Allen’s play, plus, is there going to be a trickle-down to the rest of the receivers? That’s the hope, at least.

But NFL.com, using “forward-looking data model” analytics, actually predicted the Bills’ most-improved player next season as a guy that could be a bit of a surprise to some. The player tabbed as that is running back Devin Singletary.

Some think Singletary might not jump off the charts next season because of the addition running back Zack Moss via the NFL Draft. But NFL.com made a case for Singletary.

Here’s why, according to football analytics expert Cynthia Frelund:

With Frank Gore now a Jet, this is Singletary’s moment to show out. His ability to break tackles and move the chains was the key to his rookie campaign, as he gained 10-plus yards on 23.3 percent of his rushes outside the tackles in 2019 (the highest rate among backs with a minimum of 60 such rushes, per Next Gen Stats). He projects to see a big jump in production, even with 2020 third-round pick Zack Moss competing for snaps.

While the passing game is the real place so many observers of the Bills are hoping to see some improvement, let’s consider the running game. First, there’s that trickle-down. Other receivers such as John Brown should see less coverage on them because of Diggs. But in that same light, if opposing defenses see Diggs as the game-changer, then that could take some eyes off of Singletary. Especially considering over the past few seasons the Bills have been a run-first offense.

In addition, even with Moss, there could be more touches for Singletary in 2020. Why? Because 16 is greater than 12. Singletary had a slow start to his rookie season because of a hamstring injury keeping him sidelined. If he stays healthy, he could be primed for an improved year as NFL.com projects.

 

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Buffalo Bills training camp preview: Running back

2020 preview of Buffalo Bills running backs

The Buffalo Bills are a few short weeks away from arriving for training camp in Western New York. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the preseason festivities will be diminished; the team will not hold their sessions at St. John Fisher College, their training camp location since 2000.

Nevertheless, the aim of the training camp remains the same. The organization must prepare players for the preseason, which depth players will compete in their final battle for a roster spot.

Training camp could hold greater importance this year, as the trimmed down preseason slate leaves fewer opportunities for players to impress the coaching staff.

The Bills Wire will complete a position-by-position analysis of each group on the Bills roster. This edition will focus on the running back position:

Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Players (age)

  • Devin Singletary (22: 2nd season)
  • Zack Moss (22: Rookie)
  • TJ Yeldon (26: 6th season)
  • Christian Wade (29: 2nd season)
  • Taiwan Jones (31: 10th season)
  • Antonio Williams (22: Rookie)
  • Patrick DiMarco (31: 9th season)
  • Reggie Gilliam (22: Rookie)

2019 recap

It seems like ages ago, but the Bills entered the 2019 training with a three-headed monster: incumbent LeSean McCoy, veteran free-agent signee Frank Gore, and rookie Devin Singletary. McCoy’s decline and Singletary’s emergence ultimately left Buffalo with the difficult decision of releasing McCoy, their starting running back for the previous four seasons.

Gore led the way to start the season. He rushed for at least 55 yards in five of the first six games of the campaign. Gore showed the bruising rushing style that the Bills sought. However, he faded throughout the remainder of the year, rushing for over 55 yards only once during the last 10 games of the year. During this stretch, he rushed for an average of 2.6 yards per carry and zero rushing touchdowns on 80 carries. Early in his first season, Singletary was also hampered by a hamstring injury.

The emergence of the rookie Singletary was the major development last year. He burst onto the scene against the Jets, rushing for 70 yards on four carries and reeling in five passes on the day. Motor’s season just kept getting better, as he pushed for more snaps. He ended the season as the team’s leading rusher, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 151 rushes. Singletary was a pleasant surprise in the passing game as well, as he was third on the team with 29 catches.

From the fullback spot, Patrick DiMarco played when the Bills went to two-back sets on offense.  He could also be found split out wide at times, a testament to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll‘s creativity. TJ Yeldon did not dress in 10 games, and the veteran was used sparingly when he was active. Christian Wade was a feel-good story, exploding with a touchdown on his first touch in the preseason. He spent the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad.

Now here’s a rundown of storylines to follow in this position group:

Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

How will the snaps be divided between Singletary and Moss?

Singletary’s emergence has been easy to notice. Still, the Bills coaching staff was a bit hesitant to give him the keys to the car, as Buffalo started Gore in their Wild Card playoff game, one which saw many clamor for Singletary to get more touches throughout it. With a year under his belt, Singletary should be expected to take on a greater role in the offense.

Still, the NFL largely relies on two-back systems, and the Bills, with a love to establish the run, wanted to find a complement to their second-year player. This is where rookie Zack Moss comes in. The Utah product is a bruising running back. He is compact like Singletary and runs with a little more violence at defenders.

It won’t be shocking to see a heavy diet of Singletary early in the game, while Moss will likely be the back to help close out games.

 

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Buffalo Bills training camp preview: Tight end

2020 Buffalo Bills training camp preview: tight ends

The Buffalo Bills are a few short days away from arriving for training camp in Western New York. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the preseason festivities will be diminished; the team will not hold their sessions at St. John Fisher College, their training camp location since 2000.

Nevertheless, the aim of the training camp remains the same. The organization must prepare players for the year. Camp could hold greater importance this year, as the potentially rimmed down preseason slate leaves fewer opportunities for players to impress the coaching staff.

The Bills Wire will complete a position-by-position analysis of each group on the team’s roster as we inch closer to training camp.  This edition will focus on the tight end position:

Buffalo Bills’ Dawson Knox reacts. (AP Photo/John Munson)

Players (age)

  • Dawson Knox (23: 2nd season)
  • Lee Smith (32: 10th season)
  • Tyler Kroft (27: 6th season)
  • Tommy Sweeney (25: 2nd season)
  • Nate Becker (24: 2nd season)
  • Jason Croom (26: 3rd year)

2019 recap

Tyler Kroft was brought in as a free agent last year. However, his injury history was on display early, as he hurt his foot on the first day of OTAs. The Bills, without a prominent pass-catching tight end, were forced to lean on rookie Dawson Knox.

Knox ended up starting 11 games in 2019. While he’s still refining his work as a route runner, Knox demonstrated athleticism and power than can make him a matchup problem for opposing defenses. He caught 28 passes last season, good for fourth on the team. He is still developing, as there were issues with drops last year. He led the NFL with 10.

Lee Smith was primarily used as a blocker, often acting as a sixth lineman. He was guilty of some penalties, though. Kroft, when healthy, provided some help on the field. But he was off the field more than on the field, and he ended up catching only six passes on the year. Another rookie, Tommy Sweeney filled in nicely when necessary, doing a bit of everything fairly well. He won’t dazzle anyone with his athleticism, but he’s developing into a reliable depth player for the team.

Now here’s a rundown of storylines to follow in this position group:

Can Dawson Knox become a bigger problem for defenses?

Knox’s development will be a fascinating story to follow this year for the Bills. Tight ends are providing massive mismatches in the league. Can Knox move closer to the tier of difference makers at the position (see: Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller). Knox’s 28 receptions were good for 36th overall among tight ends in his rookie season.

Knox is relatively new to the position, as he shifted to tight end early in his college career. However, his speed and power have been a great starting point for developing at the position. Knox made himself known on the national stage by bowling over Cincinnati defenders on a 49-yard catch-and-run.

If Knox doesn’t show he’s capable of being a No.1 tight end, addressing that need could be on the Bills’ radar next offseason while letting Knox slip down to the No.2 spot. Kroft is a free agent after 2020.

 

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Maurice Jones-Drew names Devin Singletary AFC East’s best RB

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary is the AFC East’s best running back, according to NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew.

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary landed in the middle of Maurice Jones-Drew’s annual running back rankings ahead of the upcoming regular season. But facts are facts, Singletary was also the highest-rated rusher from the AFC East on MJD’s list.

Overall, Singletary ranked as MJD’s 16th best starting running back in the NFL. Here’s how MJD broke Singletary down via NFL.com:

The Bills will have a committee spearheaded by Singletary, who, as a rookie, showed his ability to make people miss and line up out wide, along with his elusiveness out of the backfield. Even though he may have to share carries with T.J. Yeldon and Zack Moss, the opportunities will be fruitful, because the run game will be the focus. The addition of Stefon Diggs will also help the run game, as the No. 1 receiver will draw an extra defender out of the box.

As a rookie, Singletary had 775 total rushing yards, but he only played in 12 games. Because of that, he’s a bit overlooked in rankings of the NFL’s backs. But No.16 is still probably a just spot for him. Despite MJD’s analysis, Singletary’s not going to lose snaps to Yeldon. Moss? Maybe, but Singletary will still get his look and will have a chance to improve on his solid start to his career. Singletary showed despite his small size, he’s an all-around back that can quickly get to the outside while also wiggling for yards down the middle of a defense.

Circling back to the AFC East, the Jets’ Le’Veon Bell slots in at No. 20 overall, while the Patriots’ Sony Michel is 26th and the Dolphins’ Jordan Howard lands at No.30. Looking ahead, Bell might have the best look to jump Singletary in the future. He was a former All-Pro with the Steelers and the Jets are looking to help him in 2020 because their offensive line can only go up from last season. They were bad.

Looking at the rest of MJD’s list, the Bills do have some formidable offenses lining up against them in 2020, but not exactly some of the best running backs. On MJD’s rank, the only two backs the Bills face in 2020 that appear in the top-10 are the Titans’ Derrick Henry (7) and Raiders’ Josh Jacobs (9).

 

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