Niagara Gazette

‘Unless the Buffalo Bills can find a trade partner, they can’t walk away from his contract unscathed. At the moment, the Bills are the only team with negative salary cap space and Samuel carries a $12.085 million dead cap hit.’

‘Wilkerson has been released six times since entering the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent from FCS Southeast Missouri State. He’s survived final cuts once during his career, making the Raiders’ roster in 2023, but still only played in two games that season before being released midseason.’

‘Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer and Khalil Shakir are the unquestioned top-three receivers, but it gets murky after that. If the Bills keep five receivers, the fifth is up for grabs and if it’s six, it’s also up in the air.’

‘Heading into training camp, it appeared the Buffalo Bills had a firm grasp on their top five receivers — Keon Coleman, Elijah Moore, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir. Any other receiver would have to impress enough for the Bills to keep six.’

‘The Buffalo Bills were thumped. Thoroughly.’

‘Although the Bills played their starters in the preseason finale in Chicago in 2023, the final preseason game is usually a chance for the bottom end of the roster to give one last audition before final cutdowns.’

‘Rookie safeties don’t often start for Sean McDermott because of the complexity of the pre-snap adjustments and responsibilities. And nickel cornerbacks in the defense need quickness to cover small, shifty slot receivers and possess the physicality of a linebacker in run defense.’

‘Cook and his draftmates Christian Benford, Terrel Bernard and Christian Benford have all received four-year extensions from the Bills since March. It’s the first time in the free agency era (dating back to 1993) that the Bills have extended four members of one draft class.’

‘As the Buffalo Bills and running back James Cook were embroiled in a contract standoff, it seemed the two sides were getting close to a deal over the last week.’

‘The Buffalo Bills got their starting safeties back.’

‘When someone commented on his happiness, Cook replied, “You would be too.”’

‘ The old coach spent several minutes Tuesday talking to defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, who played for Bohl at North Dakota State from 2002-2005. But it was another former player who Bohl was really there to see.’

‘ The Buffalo Bills running back was a full participant in practice for the first time in over a week. Cook missed four practices for what he called “business,” and coach Sean McDermott revealed that Cook was asked to play in Saturday’s preseason opener but declined.’

‘The modern NFL training camp isn’t built to showcase a man of Hawes’ talents. He’s a hard-nosed, physical blocking tight end who thrives on contact. With limited opportunities to show those skills in practice, Hawes got a chance against the Giants and delivered. In the second quarter, running back Ty Johnson reeled off an impressive 18-yard run that featured a vicious stiff arm, but Hawes played a big role in springing him free.’

‘But it was a 69-yard catch-and-run touchdown during a late-season win over the New York Jets. Forget the previous two games in which he played just 22 snaps, that touchdown was the confidence booster Shavers needed to move forward with the Buffalo Bills.’