Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“It’s definitely something I pride myself on, being competitive and going out there and preparing myself like I’m the starter,” Anderson said when the Bills conducted their rookie minicamp two weekends ago. “That’s something I’m excited about, the opportunity of just going out there and earning my spot.”’

‘And while the number of league-wide injuries increased slightly in 2020, it’s awfully tough to pin that on lack of offseason practice time, given that injuries are basically random and can happen at any point – practice or games – for a wide variety of reasons, one of which can be bad luck.’

‘Unless the Bills add some veteran competition before training camp or perhaps at the end of training camp once league-wide cuts are made – which is not out of the question – Hamlin has a great chance to earn the fourth safety spot.’

‘He even went so far as to say that if it was essentially a toss up on whether to cut one player as opposed to another, all other things being equal, he’d probably lean toward cutting a non-vaccinated player if it helps the Bills get to the 85% vaccination threshold the NFL has set which would allow teams to relax COVID-19 protocols.’

‘“Yeah, yeah, a few people did recognize us and we were able to talk to a couple of parents, take a few pictures, so it was pretty cool,” he said. “It was awesome to see how passionate fans are and having people recognize us at the airport.”’

‘As such, the NFL is making sure the Bills get plenty of national exposure which is why it has scheduled Buffalo for four prime time games (only one of those at home), with the possibility for more based on late-season flexing.’

‘The Patriots will be the biggest impediment to that quest and they’re going to be a tough nut to crack after suffering their first sub.-500 record since 2000 and missing the playoffs for just the third time in the 21st century.’

‘Being bypassed in the first round, where some draft analysts projected the Wake Forest standout might get picked, is only the latest slight that will fuel his competitive nature when he takes the field at One Bills Drive in search of not only a roster spot, but a key role in Sean McDermott’s defense.’

‘“If you don’t, it’s going to look more like last year. Social distant meetings, encourage meetings to be virtual, mask in the building, maybe even mask on the sideline, who knows. A lot of that is still to be determined. I hope that if those are the rules, that we’ll be able to get enough people vaccinated and not have to deal with all the headaches.”’

‘Projected role: The Bills have time to acclimate Rousseau because they have veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison returning, and they also have 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa. I can see Rousseau getting about 25-30% of the rotational snaps and most likely not contributing very much on the stat sheet.’

‘If contract extensions are not worked out, Allen will count more than $23 million on the Bills 2022 cap in a year where the overall team figure may not even get back to where it was in 2020 when it was $198.2 million. Edmunds will count $12.7 million.’

‘The Bills have been flirting with this position before, tapping A.J. Epenesa in the second round last year. Now, they return to the position with both Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham; a pair of high-upside talents who Buffalo hopes can sharpen one another into a platoon that hits. A pressure element to this Bills defense, which is already led by two talented corners and two heady safeties, could lift them to the kind of place where they’re expected to compete with Kansas City instead of considering getting that far as a victory in itself.’

‘Doyle, just like third-round pick Spencer Brown, is another 6-foot-8 tree who weighs 320 pounds, so if nothing else, the Bills are building a heck of a basketball team if these guys end up not playing for Buffalo.’

‘The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder was a fourth to fifth-round projection by The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, so if he was on point with his evaluation, the Bills got outstanding value with this pick.’

‘Hamlin is a particular favorite of ESPN’s Todd McShay at this late stage of the draft. He said on their broadcast Hamlin is “a home run pick in the sixth round” and then went on to say, “I can guarantee it right now…. he will make the 53-man roster as a special teams maven.”’