Astrobot

I redid the EDGE rankings this morning and added Scouting Reports where available. Jon Dove, With The First Pick, and Austin Smith at DraftTek write the best scouting reports, imho. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vDHiyn6zOOmu_A4qAlO0PJ_XD2NVGjawu9k7hQlRZEg/edit?usp=sharing

On Chad Hansen, who leads the CFB in receiving yards by a large margin: I read the review by PFF, Steve Palazzolo's evaluation, and checked with FanSpeak. I did some splits with him to see how he did against the AP-ranked teams. It was BETTER than his overall average. This bodes well for Hansen.I'm putting him right after Mike Williams for starters. As for Austin Carr, he's already got 1000 yards, he's a Senior, should be in the Top 10 of Seniors to start out.

Hey, Yolo! I'll do my homework on them, and we'll put them in. I'd love to have several Wallers help with these. If you're interested, send me a DM and tell me which ones you want to help contribute to!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vDHiyn6zOOmu_A4qAlO0PJ_XD2NVGjawu9k7hQlRZEg/edit?usp=sharing Here's one from each round: RD1-Myles Garrett RD2-Deatrich Wise RD3-Da'Shawn Hand RD4-Isaac Rochell RD5-Kylie Fitts RD6-Sam Hubbard

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kq8w1svhx3nPnfVDBIz4C6KlxdJn2NplZ6eK42Ve9hM/edit?usp=sharing Drafted in 2016, Kevon Seymour has played very little. Gilmore has declined lately, possibly trying to walk the line between staying healthy and trying to get waived. Whaley says he'll take a CB every year, so it's worthwhile to monitor the CB crop.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19D8I9D3txSJjZRNyCEAeNTG2_gaTghTXMt4rOkViTvs/edit?usp=sharing I focus on RB every year because I know the traits that seem to translate to the NFL. Some players I've liked in recent years included Jeremy Hill, Karlos Williams, Carlos Hyde, Jonathan Williams, and Terrance West. I was thrilled when Karlos and Jonathan were picked by the Bills. One stat that seems to be highly predictive is yards per carry against AP-ranked teams. One stat that isn't predictive so much is YPC, which is a function of the OL blocking, quality of the opponents' defenses, etc. I move players up and down as I watch game videos, not when some draft site says so-and-so is awesome. This avoids players being "famous for being famous".

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DK-zMWDxtdrpCG_0Sq95dePR-4AOZ-VmwX9Amj26EWg/edit?usp=sharing Even with the addition of Percy Harvin, WR is still a need for the Bills. In the second game vs the Pats, they were down Watkins, Goodwin, Hunter, and Salas. Woods was hurt. Easley & Listenbee are still on PUP.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NbuzEq3pe9psnwy-FsAFSKRf6CDzB61S8kY47LuWw3A/edit?usp=sharing I highlighted in green those players I think would lend themselves to a NT role (Dareus insurance plus Kyle W's heir when he hangs up the cleats). The more versatile, the better.

Do you have Kizer and Kaaya ranked above Watson? Do you have any of these guys ranked above Chad Kelly? Mason Rudolph Davis Webb Cooper Rush Mitch Leidner

Astro's 2017 Draft-Eligible TEs: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FWJI7WooRHVCFi2ZTMhzG2cLHdiv4BCDzbmZ2yqh3oY/edit?usp=sharing We are likely going to draft a TE on Day 3. Clay was better in Miami. He's shown he's a willing blocker. O'Leary has shown up in the last 2 losses. How early would you put TE on the shopping list? Remember, right now we don't have a 4th Rounder. Here's a recent scenario. Round 1, Pick 19 Round 2, Pick 19 Round 3, Pick 19 Round 5, Pick 19 Round 5, Pick 30 Round 6, Pick 19 Round 6, Pick 37

I have added him just below Hikutini: O.J. Howard, Alabama Jake Butt, Michigan Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas Jordan Leggett, Clemson Cole Hikutini, Louisville Scott Orndoff, Pitt Evan Engram, Ole Miss Wyatt Houston, Utah State Brandon Lingen, Minnesota

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16IAhKeXJQamn7bhubQfyxvLdZpEDQlsEXIQnmdE-ScE/edit?usp=sharing I've made my own QB Rankings for the 2017 Draft-Eligible Class. My goal is to get some discussion about QB options other than EJ and Cardale Would you draft a QB at all given these options? Would you wait until Day 3? Whom would you move up or down as a result of this week's games? Astro

Not many decent FA Safeties this year. Only Church, IMHO. There are at least 3 rounds worth of good RBs in the 2017 draft, so I agree.

FREE SAFETIES UNDER 29 Bradley McDougald FS 25 TB TBD $2,553,000 UFA - Jordan Poyer FS 25 CLE TBD $555,064 UFA - Don Jones FS 26 HOU TBD $675,000 UFA - Duke Williams FS 26 BUF TBD $657,563 UFA - Eric Berry FS 27 KC TBD $10,806,000 UFA Market Value Christopher Conte FS 27 TB TBD $3,000,000 UFA - J.J. Wilcox FS 27 DAL TBD $702,767 UFA - Michael Thomas FS 27 MIA TBD $675,000 UFA - Nate Allen FS 28 OAK TBD $3,000,000 UFA - Darian Stewart FS 28 DEN TBD $2,125,000 UFA - Rafael Bush FS 29 DET TBD $1,500,000 UFA - STRONG SAFETIES UNDER 29 Tony Jefferson SS 24 ARI TBD $1,671,000 UFA Market Value Matt Elam SS 25 BAL TBD $1,691,751 UFA - D.J. Swearinger SS 25 ARI TBD $1,671,000 UFA - T.J. McDonald SS 25 LA TBD $731,570 UFA - Duron Harmon SS 25 NE TBD $677,775 UFA - Shamarko Thomas SS 25 PIT TBD $653,288 UFA - Micah Hyde SS 25 GB TBD $584,527 UFA - Kemal Ishmael SS 25 ATL TBD $551,474 UFA - Daimion Stafford SS 25 TEN TBD $551,474 UFA - Jahleel Addae SS 26 SD TBD $2,553,000 UFA - John Cyprien SS 26 JAC TBD $1,367,276 UFA - Robert Blanton SS 27 BUF TBD $840,000 UFA - Brynden Trawick SS 27 OAK TBD $825,000 UFA - Duke Ihenacho SS 27 WAS TBD $675,000 UFA - Barry Church SS 28 DAL TBD $2,206,750 UFA - Kelcie McCray SS 28 SEA TBD $717,500 UFA -

I like Jonathan Williams and Gillislee. Both are North-South runners with decent size. Gillislee is NFL's 4th-best NFL RB in YPA, and we just let Ajayi ahead of him into 3rd place. I need more evidence that the problem is the quality of our RBs.

Good point. I'm moving TE up. P2 or P3 would still net a TE in this draft. Ones I like for Buffalo roles: O.J. Howard, Alabama Jake Butt, Michigan Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas Jordan Leggett, Clemson Cole Hikutini, Louisville Wyatt Houston, Utah State Brandon Lingen, Minnesota Not sold on Engram as a TE because he's light, but he'd make a pretty good crossover WR-TE hybrid. I'm getting enough feedback about CB that I'm changing CB, as well. I think we have somebody in Kevon Seymour but if a 6'0", 4.4 corner is value at any pick, you know Whaley will pounce.

I don't understand your first sentence. We're keeping Rex and Co. I just used FanSpeak's simulator and got Mike Williams, then OT Bisnowaty from Pitt in RD2. It doesn't simulate getting new staffs LOL

This is Astro, the guy who writes Astro-Notes from training camp. I'm the Bills' Analyst for DraftTek. I submit weekly team needs to DraftTek, and our computer selects players fitting those needs from our Big Board, which tracks 450 college players. I need your input for upcoming mocks. These are posted pre-dawn on Thursdays. Here's the way positional needs are right now: P1 (Can only have one P1 position)===>WR. We're on fumes here. Goodwin's catch percentage is <35%, Woods is an above average WR and a willing downfield blocker, and Watkins can't show it while riding pine. Powell isn't doing what he's supposed to, Tate's now more of a KR-PR than WR, and Justin Hunter is...tall. I'd prefer a tall WR who gets in and out of breaks quickly. I have a "Multiple" on WR, so the computer may select a second WR if the value is there on Day 3. P2 (Can have more than one P2, and computer selects the one with least "reach")===> NT, S, OT, OG. Rex needs a true nose tackle because Dareus CAN play the position well, but he's more of the 3-tech DT in a 4-3 alignment. Right now, he's nothing because he's not in there, and the Bills lost the Fins game because their OL got to our LBs. Aaron Williams may be done, and the next best S on PFF's Premium Stats isn't even in the top 50. Offensive line depth still isn't reliable, although Kujo and Groy look passable enough to drop this to P3. P3====>TE. Clay has caught 5 balls in 4 of the last 5 games, but wasn't a factor in the Fins loss. O'Leary, 2-time Mackey Award-winner, is getting into the rhythm of this offense and beginning to produce, but the Bills need a TE who can block and catch equally well. Dray was cut because he signaled run. P4====>RB, OC, EDGE, CB. These are typically Day 3 selections, and could be P6's. Bills have a twice-injured McCoy, a washed-up Bush (that didn't sound right), TD Mike (possibly the best of the bunch--he's 4th in YPC in the NFL), and Jon Williams, who may be okay if he holds onto the ball. The Bills tried to find a backup OC but Velasco didn't work. They likely need a big strong smart Center to handle the division's big NT's and 3-techs. Wood is a smart finesse OC but groom his successor now. EDGE is listed on FanSpeak as a need, and they'd have this position as a P3 or even P2. We have guys PLAYING EDGE in Rex's D who elsewhere are OLB34, DE, or 3-tech DT (Lawson, Douzable, Alexander, Washington, McCray). You can help me decide where EDGE goes. P6====>QB, 3-tech, OLB. I'm happy with Tyrod for the most part, and EJ's a decent backup. Cardale is still learning but has size, arm strength, better anticipation than either of the others, and a winning history. 3-tech is one of our strengths, but Rex always drafts them. Shaq's being designated as a OLB34 in our scheme, and so is Hughes. P9====>Speed WR, CB, 5-tech, ILB. We have Goodwin, Eagan, Listenbee for Speed WR, all with 4.3 speed, so we have the downfield threat sewed up. Whaley likes him some CB and says he'll draft one every year but Darby-Gilmore (with Kevon Seymour in the wings) combine for one of the top 2 CB tandems on PFF, NFLSavant, and other evaluation services. We can have the conversation about Gilmore's contract if you like, in which case this vaults way up. 5-tech is a major strength, as is ILB. DraftTek ranks Kickers but they just aren't drafted (exception: Aguayo, who's struggled). Let me know if you'd change any of these ratings, and we'll see what gets drafted in our mock as a result. Astro

I am wearing my Dareus jersey today. Rehab helped Bruce Smith, and it helped my brother. The latter two are heroes to me,and Dareus could end up being a hero, as well.

I love your state. One of the prettiest in the USA. 2016 vs 2015: -->Much more chatter on the field, especially defense, and especially from the twos and threes. -->Much more one on one teaching. -->Shorter calisthenics, for better or worse. -->More relaxed starters, the QBs obviously the most relaxed because there was a pecking order from the outset. -->Just as much time spent on special teams, which has to be the most in the NFL -->Even more prescriptive teaching that was evident later on in 11 on 11's.

It was a catered affair, with doilies and Alencon lace, and a divine two-tiered cake in the shape of a bong. You'd have loved it.

This is the final AstroNotes for this year. I don't go to the evening practices, @CJchristiansen3 and his buddy Jeff are sitting up by the press box on the far side. Thanks Conell for all your help; see you on Twitter! He'll be studying Sports Management at MCC this September. Today had the best weather of the summer practices, 77 degrees with a FeelsLike of 84 at 9:35 this morning. The usual gang of kickers and snappers are out there early, and again the Lone Returner, Powell, who stopped at the barricade to sign some autographs and allow some selfies taken with him. After some yogic postures in the end zone to the left, Powell shags punts from the JUGS machine. The machine has three [3] guys attending to it; is this really necessary? And/or, Can I sign up? Sanborn strolls in with Ed Reed, sporting a red Bills bucket cap with blue shirt today. Of course, everything goes with the olive loincloth he always wears. Reid Ferguson signs while Ta'amu trots to the third field. He's in the same mold as TJ Barnes was, and Casey Walker still is: fill a refrigerator full of muscle and chicken wings, chill for 24 years. In vert refrigerator and you have a Nose Tackle.Jarrett Boykin obliges for a selfie or two, and also heads to field 3. Garrison Sanborn, who's in all likelihood sticking around this year to snap for a million dollars, shakes the hand of a middle-aged man he recognizes and signs the old-style Buffalo helmet of his two sons. Chris Martin, sporting a cross between a beard and given-up-shaving, waddles to field 3 along with O'Leary, Dray, and Wood. Cardale, who always seems hot and sweaty, carries his shoulder pads replete with red jersey. Powell's fielding punts on the run today. Sanborn is catching practice field goals from Carp and Gay. Whoops and hollers and screams of "Tyrod!" announce that Tyrod's making his way through the entrance under the bleachers and onto the grass field. He goes to the near pylon to pray. Gragg and Annen play catch down on the sideline in front of us ; Dray is 20 feet away, swinging one leg then the other. Jimmay Mundine, likely a PS tight end in a couple weeks, is working with a coach on a better lateral slide when he blocks. Carp is kicking off from his 40 and dropping it 3 yards deep in the far end zone. Three yards creates doubt in the kick returner's mind, and just that second of hesitation before bringing it out can spell disaster. Zach Brown and Striker get a ball from the duffel and pitch it back and forth. Shady arrives with Doug Whaley. Rex and Roman talk to Sammy, most likely about what he should skip in practice today, because he's not in very many drills. C Graham has elastic bands on his legs and stretches his hip. Aaron is in uniform but not wearing a helmet. He's on the exercise bikes a lot when he's not giving high-fives, patting a player on the shoulder, or kibitzing. Jerry Hughes arrives 8 minutes late. Easley is on the turf field, but not dressed for practice. He has Sanjay Lal, Watkins, Goodwin, and Woods over there. The DB's are on the near side, doing ladders painted on the field. The gunners are working on meeting the runner, attempting to strip the ball. Crossman is barking commands. Kick Return practice helps me figure out who's thought of more as a special teams player. For example, Annen is in there first, and Dray is his substitute. Groy again is Richie's understudy at LG, and his sub is Jamison Lalk. Both do meritable jobs. Positionals continue, with WRs trying to catch passes thrown by the coach directly overhead. The OL practices on sleds, then on each other holding blocking pads. Miller is notable; he moves Lucas back about a yard, and Lucas is 6-4, 318. TEs practice making a catch off a solid block while the QBs and RBs work on handoffs, play-action, and option plays. McCoy looks 100%, like he can't wait to be out there when it counts again. A drill I hadn't seen in camp before happens next. Tyrod and EJ have two WRs running a pattern. Tyrod throws to one, and EJ has to throw as soon as possible to the other. It builds quick decision-making, something EJ could use. When they had a turn, then EJ would throw to one receiver and Cardale would have to find the other receiver and throw it. Finally, Cardale was the first thrower and Tyrod had to target the 2nd WR. Reggie Bush is back with the RBs; they are running routes with QBs throwing to RB or WR. Cardale throws behind Wilder. Dez Lewis is back with his WR-mates, and he's off the line in a flash, but Darby mirrors him step for step. Gilmore and Darby, with Kevon Seymour in the wings, is a luxury only a few teams have. In Drill 4, there is a lot of 2 TE sets, with Tyrod getting the most work. Jimmay Mundine looks good enough to be on the practice squad, but would he supplant O'Leary there? O'Leary catches the ball well, and may edge Jimmay out. Clay, Gragg, and Annen are my best bets for the 53, with Dray on the cusp. Annen is just so athletic and reactive, and showing better awareness. It's hotter up here on the aluminum bleachers; I see a girl having a tough time with her $2 Sno-Cone. Then I notice she's wearing a Spiller jersey and I chuckle at the irony. The ball is placed on the 5 yard line for the next set of plays. Clay makes a super catch by the near pylon. Gronk drops a perfect TD throw OVER THE MIDDLE. EJ misfires on a swing pass. Finally, Gragg steps up and gets an on-the-money Tyrod pass in the end zone. Touchdown! EJ impresses me by getting rid of the ball quick on the next play --likely 1/2 a second. LINEMEN: Richie Incognito is doing some timed sprints over on the 3rd field. That's a good sign, even if it isn't his test to return. The extra playing time Groy and Kouandjio got at LG and LT respectively may come in handy. More on the OL: Chris Martin, now at LT, does a nice job with his hands and his feet, and steers an inside move by Kyle Williams off to one side of the QB. Renfrow takes his place, and shows his strength is lateral movement. Both Martin and Renfrow are good Practice Squad guys. Cyril Richardson, who played G, didn't distinguish himself but didn't allow sacks. Marquis Lucas at RG keeps his feet moving well, but could use more work on hand-fighting and bend more. I'm not comfortable with Velasco or Kugler, but I see why Velasco gets the reps behind Wood. Kugler shows good recognition and awareness, as he had to switch man out there. He knows what to do, and just lacks the muscle and bulk to carry it out. Perfect for the PS. WRs: Little makes a "hands" catch, and I want to like him. He's been inconsistent but Little sure has the size over the middle of the WR pack. He's 220, and even Dez Lewis is only 214, Boykin 215, and Salas 210. Powell's smaller than all of them, but his speed and PR/LR duties net him a spot, at least until Listenbee returns, which is likely by the last of the preseason games. Two picks on successive plays of Cardale (we think Gilmore and Hughes) will get some film study this afternoon. Likewise, Corbin Bryan't ability to come up the middle will warrant study by the OL brain trust (and a spot on the roster for Corbin). A drop by O'Leary reminds me why I have him on the PS instead of the final 53. Tyrod's first throws seem to miss the mark a lot. When he came in this time, he overthrew Kain Colter late and high. The defense was stout, so, with a solid block by Mills, Tyrod scores on a keeper. Touchdown! Jimmay Mundine on a pass into the flat, scores. Touchdown! Spikes had to cover on the next play, and was a step behind, and the pass was complete. Lalk-Renfrow combo blocking kept the DE at bay, Kugler switched man in time with his head on a swivel, and Cardale delivers the bullet to Little on a slant for the Touchdown! The play worked because the RB swinging to the flat got the MILB's attention, pulled him one way, and the slant by Little filled the space he vacated. A very well-conceived play by G-Ro. In the next 11 on 11, complete with down markers, 5 refs, and the first team except Sammy, Hawthorne was the left OLB opposte Manny Lawson, and effectively covered the flat. On the very next play, Zach Brown covered the flat equally well. Tyrod passed to Dez Lewis, Sammy's substitute, and Dez caught it, even though he was well-covered by Darby. The Catch of the Day was a 30-yarder to Woods on the next play. Next, Colter, Clay, and Little weren't able to gain satisfactory separation and Tyrod had to throw it away. See why I can't love Greg Little? Aaron Williams is being tested on the other field, Conell informs me. See why I need spotters? On the ensuing play, Goodwin failed to come back to the ball when he saw Tyrod was in trouble. That's trouble. Another well-conceived play has Dez clear out the zone for Woods to cross OVER THE MIDDLE for a nice gain. On the next play, a Tyrod keeper, Goodwin redeems himself, blocking well for his QB. Tyrod threw a little to high for Little in the end zone, then follows with an underneath pass OVER THE MIDDLE for Shady. We don't have the details, but Eric Wood and Powell have a tussle. Greg Little is now in Sammy's usual place, with Woods in the slot and Goodwin the wideout on that side. Casey Walker is not the NT, and the OC and Og double him. Goodwin gets a Tyrod pass right in the breadbasket with Darby unable to do anything about it, it was that perfect. Cardale's in. Velasco shows use of hands to keep DL's off but going where he wants them. Maybe Velasco isn't as bad as I portrayed in these notes. Kain Colter and Sterling Moore collide, and Moore comes out for a play, trotting back in. They test him right away. Powell is on Dez Lewis, but Lewis makes the catch despite Moore's immediate hit. Powell helped on the same side to secure some extra space for Lewis. Notice I didn't say pick play. They get to Cardale on a full-out blitz. I'm glad they're throwing the kitchen sink at the rookie; he seems to profit from what experiences he has, and never seems rattled. Randell Johnson showed a lot from his new position on that blitz. I'll spare you the details on the Kicker battle. Gay missed 3 of 7 and Carpenter hit all of his kicks save for one. Gay may stay as kickoff specialist, kicking FGs in a pinch but only until they signed a real kicker. The regular first team started things off for Drill 9, to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger". Goodwin drops a 50-yarder that was there, and drops and gives 10 push-ups. A Shady sweep was defended nicely by Gilmore. Goodwin and Woods work a Pats pick play to perfection. Duke Williams gets to Tyrod on a Safety blitz. Then, Shady gets to the edge with some serious speed, but he'll tell you he isn't showing 6th gear yet. Jordan Mills runs the Lap of Shame for his false start, then Reggie gets the ILB leaning one way while Tyrod goes the other way. It's G-Ro Genius. EJ gets two plays, both batted down, one by Lavar Edwards at the line and one by Sterling Moore on his best play of camp, preventing Walt Powell from catching it. Cardale comes in, and the DL is short a man. Casey Walker, likely the backup NT, notices and Justin Zimmer runs on. Zimmer knows he has to make up for his mistake, so he pushes the entire pocket back onto Cardale, and more so than Deaderick. Cardale evades pressure from a called Safety blitz and delivers a catch-able ball to Clay, who almost pulls it down. Gilmore breaks up a pass intended for Woods, but Ed Reed says something to Gilmore like "That should have been yours", and Gilmore drops and gives him 10 push-ups. Kujo moves Lorenzo Alexander enough so that Cardale can pass to Powell, who makes a nice catch. Brandon Spikes does what he does on a run stop, and Kugler's awareness keeps the pocket clean on the next play. Zimmer again pushes the pocket back into Cardale on the last play, blowing up a run play in the backfield. I've enjoyed the feedback and discussion my notes have provided. I've heard from Bills fans in France, England, Afghanistan, Wyoming, Las Vegas, and elsewhere. Just performing a service. We're all Bills fans on this bus... ~Astro

My Depth Chart is updated: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mPhlH_vlqvgrWNkpVH-oxlCsBTEDbDFelpvahy08mb0/edit?usp=sharing

Nailed it. Whenever they could, they had Watkins out as the X, Woods in slot as the Y, and Goodwin out wide on the other side as the Z. Dez isn't healthy right now due to the collision, but Powell kicked butt today, and I see he's the next guy on your list. Boykin filled in as did Little; they both do pretty well as fill-ins for the injured Easley and almost-recovered Listenbee. A healthy Salas could slip in to our lists after Goodwin and before Powell, but Powell is outplaying everyone not named Watkins, and he's the guy getting 100% of the snaps at punt and kick return.

After a rain delay to my start, I arrived at the Bills' turf field at 10:20 or so. The grass fields would have been a quagmire with the torrential rains that passed through Rochester from 8:45-10:00. You are glad to see Lawson's #91 out there with the D-Line, further bolstered by inside DL #98, Brandon Deaderick (TJ Barnes' old number, no name on the back for now), beefy true NT Alameda Ta'amu wearing a duplicate 96 also with no nameplate yet, and #43, Kroy Biermann, who does have his name sewn on. I've only missed calisthenics and the initial kick return practice. Whew! The QBs are practicing swing passes left and right. Tyrod's 1 for 2, and EJ and Cardale are 2 for 2. The O-Line is finally doing five on five line blocking, practicing various line combinations to get the blocking down right. The QBs and WRs are on the field out in front of me and my sidekick, @CJchristiansen3 . Tyrod shows his accuracy on deep balls, going 6 for 7, overthrowing Sammy. Best catch was probably Goodwin's, who had to track the ball directly overhead running full out. HE juggled it once, but I doubt a DB would have ebeen able to catch him at the speed he was going. EJ had a miserable time connecting with the same group of receivers. One was off Goodwin's fingertips, his next pass turned Woods around, Sammy dropped his, he overthrew Kain Colter and Powell in succession. Greg Little made a sweet grab of one ball, and Jarrett Boykin, who's not done competing for a slot, got the other. EJ finished the deep ball drill 2 for 7, with 4 of the 7 off target. The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" comes on the PA system as the QBs and WRs work on fakes inside/throw to the outside. Meanwhile, the OL and DL are opposite each other, with the DL practicing stunts while the OL works on opening gaping holes for our stable of 6 possible running backs that could make this squad. I'm cutting Boom Herron and putting Wilder on the PS. The QBs and WRs are now on the 10, working on chemistry along the front and back lines of the end zone. Tyrod is 5 for 6, and the understudies are 3 for 3 each. Goodwin makes the best play down here, catching the ball and getting his two feet down before going out of bounds. Rob Ryan's doing a lot of teaching out there. He spent a good amount of time with several of the ILBs, and with Biermann. Didn't see his wife, although I looked. As positionals continued, the TEs and RBs joined in, both having to make catches at the pylon. We wonder if the addition at NT might change Dareus' role to that of a 5-tech, although he's done amazingly as a NT in the 3-4 front. Ta'amu is dominating vs the run, and Biermann is a OLB good vs the pass (#7 in the NFL last year on a bad defense). Washington's very good at pass rushing, while Lawson's good at everything. Or was. He's an ancient age 31 coming off a pec tear, but at least he's out there. 11 on 11 drills start. What's the most striking is the defensive communication. It's loud and clear. Only Rob Ryan is signaling on the sidelines, not Dennis Thurman. The first play is a nifty run by Shady McCoy. The crowd erupts, especially the youngsters from youth day camps who are in the stands today. On the second play, Karlos pinballs through the defensive backfield, although he might have been tackled sooner than later. After all, this defense allowed 1.3 ypc last Saturday. In contrast, on the third play, Mike Gillislee looks strong and smooth through a hole with better blocking. The fourth play was a hard count, drawing Adolphus Washington and Jerel Worthy offsides. Tyrod followed up with another hard count, pulling Corbin Bryant over the LOS. All run, and they bring in Justin Zimmer. A back gets a handoff and, from the jukes and wiggles, you'd mistake him for Shady: it's Jonathan Williams cranking through there. We have an embarrassment of riches at the running back spot. The sun comes out, and to the tune of "Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy", EJ takes over the reins. Wilder gets the draw and is full-tackled by Hawthorne, who looks 100% better from his ding in the Colts game. EJ fakes the handoff on the next play, throwing it to Woods for a completion. Not having to wait long, Cardale gets his turn. At the line, he shows the poise we've been seeing, re-positioning his guys when he detects blitz, and throws a perfect screen to Blake Annen on Striker's side. Chris MArtin is showing more effectiveness against Zimmer, being able to control him mano-e-mano. Both players have upside, and belong on the practice squad. Zimmer gets double-teamed on the next play, but is still able to generate push toward the QB Cardale. Striker pays too much attention to the TE assigned to block him, and Wilder goes inside for a nice gain. On the very next play, Striker doesn't show he learned a thing; Boom Herron takes the inside gap as Annen gets too much of Striker's attention. Session 6 begins. Corey White is the last to notice that everyone is no longer on the sidelines and moving to a new session. The rain resumes, but only drizzle, not lasting for long. We get more 11 on 11, as Tyrod throws a rope to Watkins, who makes a hands catch look simple. Gillislee gets the edge on a 15-yard scamper up the near side. A quick out to LeSean McCoy goes for bonus yards. I glance at the other field to see Cardale almost get intercepted by Jerry Hughes. The first team is set up again, and Wilder, who's the least speedy of the 6 RBs, tries to get to the edge on the far side, to no avail. A quick out to Sammy again gets 10+ yards. Kudos to the D-Line, because Tyrod's next hard count fails to draw any movement into the neutral zone. Shady zigzags for 10+ yards, and it sure looks like the Bills will lead the league again in big plays again this year. Valles is the OLB on the right end right now, and more than once, shows he has moves; he's one of the youngest on the team, so his development gets us a decade of production. Sammy takes a bullet and zooms for 20+ yards due to superior pass protection from the line, still using Kouandjio and Groy on the left side. You see great chatter among the players on D, even more noticeable on the other end of the field where the twos get reps. I spot O'Leary making a beautiful catch over there. Back on the ones' end, A swing pass, as practiced in positional drills, nets Shady a 15+ yard gain. Woods makes one Catch of the Day down the right-hand side, covered well by Colt Anderson and Robert Blanton. I spy Kroy Biermann and watch him for a bit. On one play, he's heading in from his outside edge, then immediately recognizes a swing pass, changes direction quickly (good for having had an Achilles injury a year ago), and heads out at a perfect angle to meet the RB just past the line of scrimmage. Robey-Coleman is hobbling on the sidelines, and in a touching moment, I see Manny Lawson come over and give him a bro hug. They talk for several minutes. Lawson has been there, and is doing his part as a veteran on this team. Welcome back Manny. Tyrod throws a fade pass to Goodwin on the sidelines, thrown in only the place where Goods can grab it. Darby and Seymour were both right where they should be. The D covers all of the receivers on the next play, and Tyrod throws it away. Tyrod throws a nice ball to Clay, OVER THE MIDDLE, up high where he can get it. EJ Manuel's in and he recognizes Greg Little running a delayed crossing route OVER THE MIDDLE for a big gain. I spy Kain Colter recognizing that EJ's in trouble and breaking off his route, then making a difficult catch on the run. Cardale's now the QB, and he throws a bullet to Boykin, and avoids the strip the defenders are trying for. Kain Colter goes up high for a second bullet, but the ball is tipped and almost intercepted. EJ comes in and finishes it off with a Powell catch in dense traffic, and gets a clap of approval from Manuel. O'Leary makes a Touchdown Catch in the end zone for EJ. Tyrod returns, hitting Woods in more traffic, and Woods falls backwards to secure the reception; this gets a clap from Tyrod. Watkins drops one in the end zone, back in the corner. It was a catchable ball. We see Shady split wide on the next play, and Gragg makes the other Catch of the Day for a Touchdown, even though Tyrod's throw turned him around. I was very impressed by those hands. Tyrod throws a fade to the coffin corner, and it's well-defended by Darby for an incompletion. Drill 8 begins, which allows me to see more team dynamics. Washington, Bryant, and Casey Walker are all talking with each other. Ta'amu is already in with Deaderick, Worthy, and Edwards, with Justin Zimmer standing more on the periphery. Rob Ryan's talking at length with Brandon Spikes (hopefully about pass coverage). Ed Reed is back coaching Powell up as he fields Schmidt's 53-yard punts. The OL is practicing walling off defenders with their body. Jordan Mills stands out as being quite agile for his size. Preston Brown comes to the sidelines looking out of breath. In Drill 9, another 11 on 11, Rob Ryan's the only one giving signals to the D. Blake Annen throws a wonderful block, springing Tyrod on a keeper around the end. On the next play, you notice that Colter and Boykin are unable to gain enough separation against the first team. On the next play, it happens again; Little and Colter can't separate from their coverage. Sammy makes a nice move on Gilmore on the next play, and does create the needed separation, but so does Charles Clay. Watkins' move was an inside button-hook, followed by an in route. IT was a thing of beauty. Karlos gains the edge on Adolphus Washington, a rarity if you saw him in college, and tramples 10 yards. Finally, Hughes makes a deceptive inside move, and a rushed Tyrod throws incomplete to Sammy. EJ comes in and goes 0 for 2. His first was low and limp, and his second throw was over Little's head. Little just shakes his head and says (I'm projecting here), "Why can't I get any decent throws?" Cardale's in and deosn't do much better; he leads Annen a little too far on a post route for 40 yards. Striker once again lets the ball-carrier go inside by paying too much attention to the blocker. But then we see the Striker he could become. On the final play, Striker just abuses Justin Renfrow at RT and woulc have taken Cardale down for a sack. The practice ended with some sloppy play by both O and D, lowlighted by: (1) a Goodwin catch on the sidelines called out of bounds by the rent-a-refs. (2) A Herron run for very little. (3) A bad pass to Gragg, who, like Little, also saw more poor passes than good. (4) Tyrod's bullet to Woods in the end zone that he can't reel in. But there were some highlights, too. EJ makes two reads, then takes off to his left, and hits Powell in the back of the end zone for a Touchdown and our last Catch of the Day. Boykin follows it up with a similar Touchdown Catch on the very next play, but Powell's was the more impressive. I'll return tomorrow for my very last AstroNotes for this year. Go Bills! ~Astro