CBS Sports

‘The Bills flexed their muscle as one of the best teams in the AFC. Allen looked in midseason form as well.’

‘As such a young player who opted out in 2020 and looks more like the tallest cornerback in the NFL than a defensive end, there was a general thought Rousseau’s acclimation process would take considerable time. Based on what he’s shown this preseason, that might not be the case.’

‘”Don’t worry they got me, too,” Beasley said. “But I was wearing a mask when I was in close contact with fully vaxxed trainer who tested positive, and still got sent home. So what’s the point of the mask anyways? Meanwhile I’m here still testing negative and can’t come back.”‘

‘Beasley and Davis were close contacts of a member of the team’s training staff who tested positive for COVID-19. Both players will undergo a five day re-entry process that is part of the NFL’s health and safety guidelines. Vaccinated players do not have to be out for five days if they are in close contact with someone who tested position for the virus. However, a vaccinated player/staff member can still test positive for COVID-19, which can lead to outbreak or spread in the facility that could compromise a game.’

‘The Trubisky revenge-game narrative was in full force on Saturday. The former Bears quarterback came out hot after getting the start with Josh Allen not playing in the contest. Trubisky played the entire first half and led the Bills on four straight touchdown drives. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, while also logging 11 yards on the ground. Trubisky’s mobility around the pocket also gave Chicago’s defense fits throughout the day. Of course, all of these performances have to be taken with a grain of salt given that it’s the preseason, but Buffalo should be feeling really good about its quarterback situation. Not only do the Bills have an MVP-caliber quarterback in Allen, but if Trubisky can keep that play up he’s one of the better backups in the league. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s defense suffocated Dalton and the Bears early, creating two turnovers in the first half.’

‘”He’s gonna control what he can control and so are we and he’s gotta continue to work hard to get himself back. I mean this is going on Week 4 of training camp at this point so he’s missed a lot of time.”‘

‘The Bills defensive roster is deeper than in 2020, particularly up front, which is the lifeblood of McDermott’s schematic philosophy. Last year, Buffalo registered the fourth-most quarterback pressures in football but only the 16th-most sacks. Logically, Beane selected two defensive ends with his first two picks, youngsters with high-end traits and, you guessed it, impressive sack productivity in college. Gregory Rousseau famously recorded 15.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman at Miami in 2019 before opting out, and Carlos Basham had 19.5 sacks in his final three season at Wake Forest.’

‘There’s a big disparity in the amount fully guaranteed at signing. Allen has the most ever fully guaranteed in an NFL contract. It was widely reported that he had $100 million fully guaranteed at signing and $150 million of overall guarantees. That’s only true if Allen’s $2,618,595 third day of training camp roster bonus, which was earned on July 29, is included in these totals. Nine players, including Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa and Titans wide receiver Julio Jones, had more fully guaranteed at signing than Mahomes.’

‘Allen’s new reported deal will have him averaging $43 million per year. According to Spotrac, that comes in at No. 2 behind Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, and just above the $40 million Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will average with his new deal. Allen’s $150 million guaranteed and his $100 million fully guaranteed upon signing are both record-breaking numbers, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.’

‘As it relates to Allen, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said on Monday that both sides have agreed to halt contract talks if they have not come to terms on an agreement before Buffalo’s first preseason game. The Bills’ three-game preseason will start with a game at Detroit on Aug. 13. Beane said that he and his quarterback are “in lockstep” as far as negotiations are concerned.’

‘The Buffalo News also reports that the team has not made any overt threats to leave Buffalo if it doesn’t get its full funding for the stadium, but has made it clear to government negotiators that there are cities elsewhere that would welcome an NFL franchise. As Wickersham has since revealed, Austin seems to be one of those possible destinations.’

‘We are months away from knowing about the “better” part of the above equation – given that the Bills came a few plays away from a Super Bowl appearance a year ago – but one need only spend a few hours watching the overhauled Bills defensive front operate in practice for the “bigger and badder” part to become readily apparent. This group now includes returning defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (311-ish pounds), back after electing to opt out of 2020 due to COVID-19, and top picks Greg Rousseau (6-foot-6 with long levers) and Boogie Basham (uber-athletic at 6-foot-3) are already menacing in the early days of camp, portending big things for a unit that lacking pocket-moving might in some critical junctures a year ago.’

‘Sanders saw first hand what Bills fans and Buffalo opponents saw throughout the 2020 season. A year after he helped guide Buffalo to a wild-card playoff berth, Allen earned Pro Bowl honors after scoring 45 touchdowns and amassing nearly 5,000 total yards. Allen’s play helped the Bills capture their first division title and playoff win in 25 years.’

‘Kelly admitted he saw this coming from Allen, who still has a long way to go to catch Kelly’s franchise records for passing yards (35,467), touchdowns (237) and wins (101). Allen currently has 9,707 yards and 67 touchdowns after three seasons, as the Bills are 28-15 in his starts.’

‘”Brandon mentioned [a new contract], I think at the end of the spring practice period there, and these things handle themselves,” McDermott said, via NFL.com’s Nick Shook. “They work themselves out when you got two parties that want to be together and have the same end goal in mind. Josh is a great, young talent and he fits so well with Buffalo and the city and the town and the people of Buffalo. So, I firmly believe it’s gonna work itself out.”‘