WGR

‘On the surface, Pornoy, a lifelong Boston fan who once handcuffed himself to the floor of the NFL’s Manhattan headquarters to protest Tom Brady’s “Deflategate” suspension in 2015 (that stunt resulted in his arrest), choosing to align himself with one of the Patriots’ chief competitors in the AFC East would seem an odd choice. However, the attention-craving “El Pres” has never been one to turn down a marketing opportunity and lending the Barstool name to an NFL stadium would no doubt increase brand awareness. If he chooses to go through with his bold gambit, Portnoy certainly has the funds to pull it off. Portnoy’s estimated net worth is over $100 million.’

‘Until a new naming rights partner has been announced, Bills Stadium is the fourth official name for the stadium in Orchard Park since 1973 when it opened. Back then it was called Rich Stadium from 1973-97, and then it was called Ralph Wilson Stadium from 1998-2015, followed by New Era Field from 2016-2019.’

‘Edwards, a native of Australia, started every game for the Jets since the start of the 2016 season. He led the NFL in total punts and total punt yardage last season.’

‘The team was only on the field or about an hour, with helmets, no shoulder pads, and in shorts or sweatpants. Players are allowed to have full-contact, including live tackling, starting Thursday, so it’s very possible head coach Sean McDermott wanted to keep their bodies fresh for a more physical day.’

‘After a really strong performance on Monday, quarterback Josh Allen had a much more uneven day. There were definitely some pin-point strikes, but also some balls that went into no-man’s land, where he either missed or there was poor communication between him and his receivers.’

‘Diggs looks every bit the part of a true No. 1 wide receiver. From the very first few minutes when he was catching red zone passes from Josh Allen to 1-on-1 drills, Diggs ran terrific routes and made difficult catches look easy.’

‘The Bills had a total of four defensive tackles tryout for them, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. Oftentimes, teams simply want to get a look and information on a player now in case they need to act quickly at the position at some point during the season. However, in this case, they were clearly looking to add to and make changes at the spot.’

‘On the first day, players will be allowed to practice for a total of 90-minutes, with a 15-minute daily increase, up to 2.5 hours of maximum on-field work. The league is officially referring to this last phase as the “Contact Integration Period,” which lasts through September 6th, but with a maximum of 14 padded practices and two days off over those 20 days.’

‘Without more specific details on the deal just yet, Dawkins’ contract averages $15 million per-season, which would make him the fifth-highest paid left tackle in the National Football League. That would put Dawkins just behind Houston Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil, Indianapolis Colts tackle Anthony Castonzo, Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan, and New York Giants tackle Nate Solder.’

‘”We all had time as a world, to have some family time, some down time through the quarantine months. I’ve had time to reflect on where we started here, to where we are now… There’s more work ahead. The reason I came here was to bring a world championship to this team, this city, and this fan base. That’s what I’m here to do.”‘

‘While I’m not a huge believer in the culture angle, he has led the way in getting everyone in the organization to pull in the same direction. Players seem to love playing for him, and I think it’s due, in part, to McDermott creating a feeling of family and inclusiveness. It isn’t a typical boss/worker relationship. Players know they have a voice in matters concerning them. That open door policy goes a long way towards getting the most of out of players.’

‘McDermott was hired by the Bills back in January of 2017 after spending six seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. The Bills have made the postseason in two of his three seasons in charge, including breaking a franchise-long 17-year playoff drought in 2017, his first season as head coach. McDermott is 25-23 overall in his three seasons as the head coach in Buffalo.’

‘Hauschka had a rough start to last season, but finished strong. Over the first nine games, he was only 8-for-13 on field goal attempts and also missed an extra point. Over the final seven games, he was 14-for-15 on field goals. The Bills actually put in a waiver claim on kicker Chase McLaughlin in early December after he was waived by the San Francisco 49ers, but the Indianapolis Colts had a higher waiver priority and were awarded McLaughlin, who was with the Bills during training camp. So it’s clear the Bills were at least looking to bring in some competition for Hauschka, who had a nice bounce-back second half. His leg doesn’t seem to have the strength it did even just a couple years ago. After going 7-for-9 on field goals of 50-yards or more in 2017, he’s only 5-for-12 over the last two years, including only 1-for-5 last season.’

‘Marlowe has developed into a reliable backup for the team in his two seasons on the active roster, including being called upon to start three games over that time. He entered the league in 2015 with the Carolina Panthers when McDermott was their defensive coordinator, spent two seasons there, then was on the Bills’ practice squad in 2017 before making the club the last two years, so he’s been with McDermott and in his defensive system for five straight years now, which is a big reason they trust him to fill-in when called upon.’

‘Jackson was a seventh round pick of the team back in April. I really liked him when I saw him at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama in January. He just looked like he belonged on an NFL field. He was patient and didn’t overreact, and played solid man-to-man defense. The Bills play a lot of nickel packages, and injuries always seem to pop up, so he will certainly have a chance to make the team and have a role, especially since he can play both outside and inside.’