Buffalo Bills injury updates from 2021 training camp.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott provided a couple of key injury updates during his team’s mandatory minicamp this week.
At this point in the offseason with no real football in the rearview mirror nor en route, things are pretty healthy. Still, we have a couple of injuries that are not going to be put to the test.
Bigger names that were hot topics for McDermott regarding injuries were running back Zack Moss and offensive lineman Cody Ford. In the playoffs, Moss saw his season come to an end via an ankle injury against the Colts. Ford had a slew of injuries when he was taken out of the lineup about halfway through the season.
In terms of both players, McDermott said they will not practice this week. The duo will take off until training camp begins in late July.
“For those two, Cody and Zack, they haven’t really been able to get back out there like they would like to at this point. We look forward to getting them back at training camp,” McDermott said.
The coach added the Moss has done “a phenomenal job rehabbing.”
Reserve safety Josh Thomas, who was practicing during voluntary OTA practices in recent weeks, is not working out during minicamp. However, McDermott indicated that he’s closer to returning than both Ford and Moss.
In the most positive of notes, two wideouts, Isaiah Hodgins and Cole Beasley, appeared to be back to full health, or at least close to it. Beasley played through the postseason in 2020 with a broken bone in his leg.
After doing so, Beasley did not workout at OTAs in recent weeks. During the first day of minicamp, he did.
Hodgins, who missed his entire rookie season due to a shoulder injury, also was participating. Hodgins even caught the attention of some onlookers with some of his plays on Tuesday.
Buffalo Bills injury updates from 2021 training camp.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott provided a couple of key injury updates during his team’s mandatory minicamp this week.
At this point in the offseason with three months until Week 1, players are pretty healthy. Still, we have a couple of injuries that are not going to be put to the test.
Among the bigger names mentioned by McDermott were running back Zack Moss and offensive lineman Cody Ford. In the playoffs, Moss saw his season come to an end due to an ankle injury against the Colts. Ford had a slew of injuries when he was taken out of the lineup about halfway through the season.
In terms of both players, McDermott said they will not practice this week. The duo will take off until training camp begins in late July.
“For those two, Cody and Zack, they haven’t really been able to get back out there like they would like to at this point. We look forward to getting them back at training camp,” McDermott said.
The coach added that Moss has done “a phenomenal job rehabbing.”
Reserve safety Josh Thomas, who was practicing during voluntary OTAs in recent weeks, is not working out during minicamp. However, McDermott indicated that he’s closer to returning than both Ford and Moss.
In the most positive of notes, two wideouts, Isaiah Hodgins and Cole Beasley, appeared to be back to full health, or at least close to it. Beasley played through the postseason in 2020 with a broken bone in his leg.
After doing so, Beasley did not work out at OTAs. During the first day of minicamp, he did.
Hodgins, who missed his entire rookie season due to a shoulder injury, also was participating. Hodgins even caught the attention of some onlookers with some of his plays on Tuesday.
With the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 schedule set in stone, Pro Football Focus did not like the way it fell for running back Zack Moss.
The football analytics outlet recently pegged Moss as a “loser” in terms of his fantasy football value after seeing the start of Buffalo’s upcoming slate:
Maybe it’s too early to make this statement, but Zack Moss looks like a prime buy-low candidate after the first few weeks of the season. With three touch matchups against Pittsburgh, Miami and the Football Team (all top-13 run-defense grades in 2020) followed by three plus matchups against Houston, Kansas City and Tennessee, Moss seems destined to be a late-bloomer in 2021. Just be patient and reap the rewards when it matters most.
Unfortunately, Moss and Devin Singletary might have a long 2021 season, not just the first three games. That’s because the Bills didn’t really do much to improve their run game this offseason.
Despite Brandon Beane saying earlier this offseason that part of the offense had to improve, the general manager brought back the same running backs and offensive line. Even free agents Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams re-signed in Buffalo.
On paper, things won’t look much different next season.
As usual, the Alabama Crimson Tide were at the center of college football in 2020. COVID-19 couldn’t even stop that from happening.
In years past that has been the case because of the stout defense Nick Saban has built but more recently it’s their outstanding offense. Included in that is dynamic running back Najee Harris.
On Friday, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein released his latest mock ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft in April. In it, the Bills select Harris. It’s the second time that Harris has been mocked to the Bills in a prominent mock draft recently as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. did the same.
Considering his talent, Harris to the Bills is an intriguing idea.
On the latest Bills-Harris connection, here’s the NFL.com reasoning:
The Bills took a big step forward in 2020, but they need more balance in their offense. The physical three-down runner with talent as a receiver out of the backfield could immediately upgrade not just the running game but the offense overall.
In selecting Harris in this mock, the Bills take the second rusher off the board as Clemson’s Travis Etienne is taken by the Jets at No. 23. However, some do consider Harris as the No. 1 running back prospect.
Harris projects as the type of do-to-all running back that the Bills lack. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss currently have their own jobs, but the Bills would add Harris as a guy that can do what they both bring to the table.
Harris, a four-year player for the Crimson Tide, averaged 5.9 and 5.8 yards per carry the past two seasons, respectively. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound rusher displayed his dynamic abilities as he rushed for 79 yards (3.6 avg) and two touchdowns while also adding a third touchdown via seven catches and another 79 yards receiving in the recent National Championship game.
What helps with the idea of Harris to the Bills is Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane. During his end of season press conference, he did suggest that a focal point of his offseason will be improving the team’s rushing attack. Harris would certainly be a move that shows he is serious about doing so.
Final 2020 Report Card for the Buffalo Bills entire 2020 season.
The Buffalo Bills will soon turn to the next chapter after the most recent one came to its conclusion.
As the team attempts to turn over a new leaf, the one that was… actually had a pretty good run. Despite the disappointment that will ensure this upcoming weekend by not playing in Super Bowl LV, the Bills came within one game of being there. Not many teams can say that.
But before jumping ahead to 2021, a good way to gauge where the Bills (13-3) could stand to improve this offseason can be found by reflecting back.
With that, here is Bills Wire’s final full report card for the Bills from the 2020 season:
Winners and losers from the Buffalo Bills’ end of season press conferences.
As the Bills wrapped up the season that was in 2020, the prominent front office figures pulling the strings ended the season as they always do, by stepping up to the podium and answering questions.
Many players were mentioned by the pair, for better or for worse. Moving forward, some of these comments could provide some insight into what the future could hold for the Bills.
In an effort to breakdown these conversations, Bills Wire will breakdown who was a winner and who was a loser from these pressers last week:
Losers
Bills defensive end Mario Addison (97). (AP Photo/Brett Carlsen)
2020 free agents
The Bills were players in last year’s free agency market and without naming names, Beane essentially said he made some mistakes. The 2021 salary cap is all messed up because of COVID-19 and it might actually drop to as low as $175 million instead of increasing like it essentially does every year.
That’s going to cause the Bills to have salary cap struggles this offseason, but looking back, the GM did say he would have done things differently.
“It’s one of those things you wish we knew a year ago, maybe we wouldn’t have made every move that we did. Maybe we wouldn’t have been so aggressive in some areas,” Beane said.
High-profile free agents added last offseason included Mario Addison, Quinton Jefferson, and Vernon Butler. All defensive linemen, a position group which had mixed results this past season. Beane isn’t loving those signings he made from the sounds of it.
OL Jon Feliciano
Combining two things, the future outlook for guard Jon Feliciano doesn’t look great with Buffalo. Again, because of that salary cap situation, it’s going to be hard for the Bills to keep everyone and on the offensive line the two top free agents are Feliciano and tackle Daryl Williams. Beane didn’t beat around the bush when discussing if he can get them both back.
“Whether we can get them back? I don’t know,” Beane said.
Beane went on to not only mention he might have to look for “cost-efficient replacements,” but also praised the hell out of Cody Ford, who was playing in Feliciano’s guard position before being lost for the year due to injury.
Kind of putting both of those together does not bode well for Feliciano.
LB Matt Milano
Beane outright put out there that the concern with brining Matt Milano back will be his health. He was oft-injured in 2020, and the GM saying that kind of indicates that this will be his “bargaining chip” in terms of signing Milano to an extension.
The Bills would “love” to bring Milano back, per Beane, however, along with brining up Milano’s health, there was pretty much zero positive vibes from the team in terms of getting Milano back in the fold next year. Again, the salary cap does not help here.
TE Dawson Knox
Pretty damming thoughts on the tight end group by Beane, which specifically doesn’t bode well for Dawson Knox.
“I thought it was up and down,” Beane said. “It was never where the opposing defense was like, ‘Man we’ve really got to stop their tight ends from going off.’”
Also probably some bad luck for Knox & Co. having to see Travis Kelce in Buffalo’s final game of the season…. The Bills should probably look to improve here. The interesting thought is their QB, though. Josh Allen did not appear to be a quarterback that looks for his tight ends very often unless it’s in the red zone, so how much should the Bills really invest into the position?
HC Sean McDermott
Why is Sean McDermott labeled under our loser category? Because he put himself there, truthfully. But we have a positive spin.
After losing to the Chiefs in the AFC title game, McDermott admitted he misplayed settling going for field goals. In addition, he said he was “outcoached.”
Spin zone time: While McDermott does live off of PR-friendly clichés… him admitting his wrongs is a step in the right direction.
CB Josh Norman
Beane was asked specifically about Josh Norman from his time with the Panthers in the 2015 offseason. That’s when Norman ended up leaving for the Football Team. The GM was not specifically asked about retaining Norman’s services this upcoming offseason, but while discussing the cornerback, he never made a notion of having interest in doing so.
In fact, Beane said rookie Dane Jackson is going to get a chance to compete for Buffalo’s No.2 cornerback job in 2021. All… not good signs for Norman’s future.
Future Buffalo Bills
Good luck trying to get a pay day from the Bills this offseason. Beane outright said the Bills will not be making flashy moves. Instead, their salary cap situation makes it so they really can’t. Therefore, sorry to any future free agents coming to the Bills, you won’t be breaking the bank.
“This is not going to be a free agency that we can be as aggressive,” Beane said.
The AFC East
After coming one loss to the Chiefs short of playing in the Super Bowl, the Bills are not going to be focusing on Kansas City… at least from a front office standpoint. Beane specifically said that his focus is not on KC moving toward the offseason, it’s still on winning the AFC East first.
“I still think it goes back … we’ve got to win our division. We can’t all of a sudden put our eyes on Kansas City and forget about New England, Miami and the Jets. It definitely starts there,” Beane said.
ESPN’s NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. sends Buffalo Bills Alabama RB Najee Harris is first 2021 NFL Draft mock.
The Bills showed in their AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs that they’re not, by comparison, a complete product.
Quarterback Josh Allen was under duress the whole game, Buffalo’s defense did not look like a unit that had a turnaround, among other issues. Of all of those, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. evidently thought the running game, or lack thereof on offense, stood out the most.
In his first 2021 NFL Draft mock of the offseason, Kiper sends the Bills a known, dynamic running back in Alabama’s Najee Harris.
Here’s how Kiper breaks it down:
Buffalo’s running game was so ineffective this season that offensive coordinator Brian Daboll cooked up a few game plans that required very few runs. Josh Allen was the Bills’ leading rusher in the postseason — by 82 yards. They should upgrade with Harris, who had a dominant season for the Crimson Tide and could also help in the passing game. With rookie Zack Moss coming off an ankle injury and Devin Singletary not an every-down player, this is where the Bills can get better immediately in 2021. And we’ve seen rookies come in right away and make a big impact. Offensive line is a position to watch for Buffalo; I thought about Michigan offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield here.
Whether it’s Harris or Mayfield, Kiper is clearly on the train of the Bills improving their rushing attack. Aside from Buffalo’s Week 8 win against the Patriots, the ground-and-pound showed little promise this past season.
In potentially selecting Harris, Kiper pegs Buffalo as the team that takes the first running back at the draft. At the most recent rookie selection extravaganza, the Chiefs took the first one at No. 32 overall, the final pick of the first round. The Bills know all too well that such a pick, a late first-round rusher, could make an immediate impact on an offense. They got a front-row seat to Kansas City’s Clyde-Edwards Helaire this season.
Harris projects as the type of do-to-all running back that the Bills do lack, to Kiper’s point. Singletary and Moss currently have their own jobs, but the Bills would add Harris as a guy that can do what they both bring to the table.
Harris, a four-year player for the Crimson Tide, averaged 5.9 and 5.8 yards per carry the past two seasons, respectively. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound rusher displayed his dynamic abilities as he rushed for 79 yards (3.6 avg) and two touchdowns while also adding a third touchdown via seven catches and another 79 yards receiving.
Selecting Harris would certainly be a pretty bold thing to do as well, potentially sending a Super Bowl or bust mentality to this team.
Buffalo Bills players react to AFC Championship loss vs. Kansas City Chiefs on social media.
In the words of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, one team had to lose. That’s what he said on Sunday evening.
Unfortunately for him and Western New York, that losing team in Sunday’s AFC Championship game was the Buffalo Bills as the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl once again with a 38-24 win.
Heartbreaking? Certainly.
Still a successful campaign? Undoubtedly, and after the dust settled and potential tears dried, the many players were in an upbeat mood and felt positive thinking back. In showing that, multiple players spoke their positive vibes on their mind’s on when traveling back to Buffalo following the loss via social media.
They thanked their teammates and fans, Bills Mafia, alike.
Here’s a rundown of reactions from Bills players following the team’s AFC title bout loss to the Chiefs:
OL Cody Ford
#BillMafia thank you for love all year no matter what. You are unbelievable fans❤️ so proud to be on this team with these guys.🤞🏽
He's got a passion for the game maybe only matched by 17.. Gotta bunch of warriors on this team that'll fight to the end. Proud of these guys and what's ahead… https://t.co/EhgEkfy9vz
Buffalo thank you for a hell of a season. You guys (The Mafia) has been like no other from the start. We lost to a great team but believe me The Buffalo Bills will come back stronger then no other. Love You #BillsMafia and, Love you #Buffalo .. ShnowMan #Out ☃️✌🏽
Pro Football Focus suggests the Buffalo Bills sign RB Chris Carson in free agency.
[jwplayer HAN0ioyH]
The Bills appear to have a formidable duo in their backfield in youngsters Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. But moving forward, could that change to a trio?
Pro Football Focus made an interesting selection as a player the Bills (13-3) could add via free agency this offseason: Seahawks running back Chris Carson. Ranking the top players at the position that are slated to be free agents, Carson, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2020 in 12 games played, appears No. 2 on the list.
In doing so, PFF complimented Carson’s worth ethic:
You will find few harder-running backs than Chris Carson, and that play style has led to him having some of the most consistent PFF rushing grades of any back in the league during his career. He hasn’t had a rushing grade below 75.0 or above 81.0 in four years and has always maximized his yardage. In each season of his career, he has gained at least three yards per carry after contact, topping out with 3.63 yards on average in 2019 — a season in which he broke 62 tackles including the playoffs.
Carson isn’t overly old at 26, but it still doesn’t seem like an investment the Bills would make. It’s currently unclear what the upcoming salary cap situation will be in the NFL this offseason due to COVID-19, so it’s hard to really even predict what kind of room the Bills would have to add free agents at this time.
But PFF suggests a three-year, $27 million deal, and annual average of $9 million for Carson to the Bills. With pending free agents like offensive lineman Daryl Williams and linebacker Matt Milano, the cap space could be better spent.
Plus, the Bills aren’t exactly a run-heavy team… at all. Of the 1,034 plays the Bills ran on offense in 2020, 411 were running plays. Of that 411, 102 were from quarterback Josh Allen. That leaves 309 total rushing plays to other players.
