Niagara Gazette

‘For Imagine for Youth, Northtown Auto and Equitable Advisors combined to donate $400,000. Then, Imagine for Youth donated $50,000 to OiShei Children’s Hospital and $20,000 to King Urban Life Center on Genesee Street in Buffalo. The benefits of the event, Hyde said, are immediate as the money raised for the game goes right back to the Western New York community.’

‘On paper, Williams seems to lack everything but the size to replace Tremaine Edmunds as Buffalo’s on-ball linebacker. He might get a shot eventually, but it doesn’t appear the Bills are in a rush.’

‘How Buffalo was going to help Allen with salary cap limitations and minimal draft assets was the main question, but general manager Brandon Beane found a way. Seven of the team’s new free agent acquisitions are offensive players and four of their six draft picks are offensive players.’

‘Buffalo drafted four offensive players in the draft and it is the second time since Beane became general manager that the Bills have selected more offensive players than defensive players. It is also the first time in his tenure they have drafted offensive players with their first two picks.’

‘Kincaid may not have been the receiver fans were hoping for, but the Bills are going to play him like one. Don’t expect Kincaid to be a big factor as a run blocker, but he should make an immediate impact in the passing game.’

‘“Size matters up in there when you’re facing some of those guys,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said, “and we’ve got some really good D-tackles in this division so having a guy who can anchor versus power, that’s probably what he does best. And he’s got length to get on guys and hold them off. You’re not going to see people running down his cylinder.”’

‘“I think it’s just the versatility again, lining up inline, flex, in the wing, in the slot,” Kincaid said in his first meeting with the Buffalo media. “I feel like it is difficult to gameplan and just for teams to, at least in college, struggling to figure out what personnel to match up, who to put on who so I feel like it just provides some attention for teams that they really got to focus on and it can take away from some other players.”’

‘“If Dalton was not there, we would have traded back,” Beane said. “We had a good feeling that Dallas would take him and we just really liked him and just felt he would be a great fit in our offense … When him and Dawson are in the game, you’re in ’12’ (personnel), but it’s quasi like ’11’ anyway. He’s not your standard ‘Y’ tight end. He’s going to be flexed out a lot more than necessarily you would do with Dawson.”’

‘What is certain, though, is that this is the biggest draft for the Bills since taking Josh Allen in 2018. With cap concerns and age creeping in at certain positions, Buffalo can rejuvenate the roster with a strong draft.’

‘Perhaps Maybin’s flamboyance didn’t make friends in Buffalo, but the Bills also didn’t take the time to develop him or use him in situations he was supposedly drafted for. It was obvious Maybin had talent after leading the Jets with six sacks and four forced fumbles in 2011, but it’s hard for a player to shake perception once they’ve been labeled.’

‘Hamlin has been working out with the team this week during OTAs. He has made several public appearances since the end of the season, including a meeting with President Joe Biden, the Super Bowl, an interview with CNN and even a spot on the Masked Singer.’

‘“There’s gonna be a good player there,” Beane said. “I know everyone’s gonna have their mock guesses as to say this is what the Bills’ need. And I know fans come out and watch offense, probably more than they want to watch defense. So if there’s the right player there, for sure we would do it. I’m usually not going into a draft saying, ‘Hey, let’s hit one side of the ball or the other.’ … We’re going to set the board and it’ll kind of tell us what we need to do.”’

‘Buffalo sports fans have an uncanny way to be upbeat this time of the year, no matter what happened during the season. Whether it’s finishing the season strong, a coaching move or a big acquisition, Buffalo fans always find a way to say “next year.”’

‘The 30-year-old, 6-foot-6, 341-pounder suffered a hamstring injury during an interception return by Matt Milano in Week 2, causing him to miss two games. Phillips then dealt with a shoulder injury late in the season that caused him to miss three games, including the AFC Wild Card round against the Dolphins. He also missed 15 games due to injury in two seasons with Arizona in 2020 and 2021.’

‘“As we were getting deeper into the free agency process, it just kept coming back to finding the right opportunity, the right situation, and ultimately, the right fit for myself and my future,” Rapp said. “It just kept coming back to Buffalo and how attractive this opportunity and this fit was.”’