BillsFan4

Not a great play by Tate there...

Yarbrough!!

Nice stop by Darues there!

Here we go!!

All I really want to see is some basics - just all around competence. Defensive play calls coming in on time. Players showing that they understand how to run the defense. The offense demonstrating an understanding of the scheme and Tyrod looking capable of running it. Anything more in the 1st preseason game is a bonus. Obviously I want to see guys like White, Jones, Ragland, Dawkins (or Mills), Sammy, Tyrod, J. Williams, (etc) making plays/stepping up, and I'd like to feel good about their depth on both offense and defense, especially at the position groups viewed as weak (D line, LB, CB, S, OL, even WR although I don't view that as a weakness anymore). But it's only the first preseason game, so I'm tempering expectations. I'm very curious to see how TT fits in this offense. Hoping for the best! I'm also very curious to see how McDermott handles his first game as heas coach on the sidelines.

Less than 3 hours till some actual Bills football... even if it is only preseason, I'll take it!

Co-owner Kim Pegula played a big role in adding Anquan Boldin - http://nysportsbiz.com/2017/08/08/bills-co-owner-kim-pegula-played-big-role-in-adding-anquan-boldin/

Those comments came off kind of petty to me. It also seemed like Johnson is still kind of blaming everything/everyone but himself for his failure. I mean, the guy played on what, 5 different NFL teams? 1 before he came here and 3 after he left, and then tried out for a couple more teams in the years that followed. If he was a legit NFL (starting) QB, he would have latched on somewhere. I think sometimes the people who are always looking for excuses and trying to place the blame on others allow that mindset to negatively interfere with their lives/careers. Instead of just putting the necessary work in to better their situation, they blame others for their own shortcomings. I have no idea if that's the case with RJ, but it's just something I've observed in my life.

LOL

Lol. Nobody. I was just joking around.

Watson threw a completed pass. The Bills totally blew it by not drafting him! We are domed forever...

Can't believe the Bills play their first (preseason) game tomorrow! Super excited to see what the offense and defense look like. I'm not expecting them to show much, but it'll still be exciting none the less. I'm just so happy football season is here (just about, anyway).

Plus, it's not like a single Bills fan has ever tried to say that Tyrod is as good as (or better than) Matt Ryan, Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers, so it's more/less a moot point anyway. Everybody knows Tyrod is not as good as those 3 QBs... The only QB who people have said Tyrod is as good as (or better than) is Ryan Tannehill, and Miami's defense was 19th in points allowed IIRC. Miami also had much better overall coaching and arguably more luck. Miami definitely had a better season overall but IIRC They won 6 one score games last season and Buffalo lost 6 one score games last season. Reverse some of those for both teams and things look a bit different. You can see where having the 19th PPG defense vs the 26ppg defense could factor in. I was glad to see you bring up how badly that one Pats game affects the Bills average in points allowed. I understand the argument that it's not fair to take a game off the schedule and I (somewhat) agree. But I would guess that there are not many other teams who had 1 single game skew their PPG that greatly (especially when you factor in all the circumstances surrounding that game). But what happens if Tyrod plays the Jets game? Obviously we don't know the result, but I have to think it'd be better than the game EJ put together. I believe the Bills were 7th in scoring before that last Jets game, with a very real chance to land somewhere between 4-6 with a decent performance. Like I said above though, I do understand that taking a game off the schedule can skew any team's averages and agree with that foe the most part. But I do think that Pats game and the circumstances surrounding it has to be taken into account, especially with how much that single game changes the average.

They seem to do that a lot, IMO. Like for example the media was doing that just the other day when Pegula was giving his interview. He'd give a short answer and just be starting to elaborate, and some reporter interrupts him to ask a different question. I was getting aggravated. They're so anxious to ask the next question that they don't even let the guy finish answering the previous one. Seems kind of unprofessional to me...

Hopefully Tyrod is able to spread the ball around to whatever guy is open. But I'm guessing that Sammy and Boldin will be the top 2 targets, with Clay and Zay mixed in there. I know that doesn't fit the poll. I'm bad at picking just one.

Couple more - https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/8/8/16112320/buffalo-bills-training-camp-practice-recap-8-8-anquan-boldin-tyrod-taylor-zay-jones-reggie-ragland http://buffalonews.com/2017/08/08/learned-bills-camp-day-11/

I don't know if I really see much reason to try and trade Ragland right now. I can't imagine his value is very high, and it's not like he has a big salary/cap hit or anything. I guess if someone offers something good, you consider it. But I don't see much reason to try and dump him for a 6th (etc). Just my opinion anyway. The coaches seem to think that he just needs more time to recover from his ACL tear. Leslie Frazier was saying yesterday that it can take guys a whole year to get back to form once they can start playing again.

This was great to read - "Anquan Boldin wasted no time making his presence felt. He was working with the first and second teams during team drills and caught a few passes from Tyrod Taylor. His route running, physicality and hands will help him stay productive in the league. He already was gathering the receivers after practice, so he hasn't been shy about establishing himself as a leader, either." Edit - here is Joe B's Boldin take - 1) Bolding mixing in with the first-team right away - Well, that didnt take long. Anquan Boldin hasnt had more than a day-and-a-half, if that, to be in the playbook and study Rick Dennisons offensive scheme, but that didnt stop him from taking as many first-team reps as he could. On some two wide receiver sets, Boldin was lined up with Sammy Watkins. Then later on with three receivers in the formation, Boldin was with both Watkins and Andre Holmes. He showed off his size and his natural hands, making a few contested catches throughout the day. After just one practice, it would be foolish to anticipate much else besides Boldin factoring, heavily, to the teams offensive plans in 2017. Perhaps he plays a hybrid role along with Zay Jones, but its clear the Bills have an immediate plan for their newest wide receiver. After practice, Boldin already took control of the wide receiver room, delivering some veteran advice for the wide receivers of the team as they all huddled around him. Jones said Boldin, after only one day, has totally integrated himself, and essentially said that when he talks, all eyes and ears are on him. That sounds like just the type of person Sean McDermott craves for his locker room.

It's Groundhog Day once again in another TT thread...

Agree. Especially the defensive backfield (even more so now they Kevon Seymour is missing time with some type of foot injury). Can't afford to lose any CB or S to injury. Maybe they'll luck out and some players will really step up in preseason (I can hope right?). I am fully expecting that the Bills will look to add some depth (at a few positions, hopefully) after cuts to 53. I wonder if cutting rosters directly to 53 will,help the Bills out? There will be a lot more players available at the same time. Might give Buffalo a chance to snag a decent player or two.

Glad to see you getting on board with the Beane hire. I've been impressed with him so far. I agree. He does seem to be very well respected around the NFL, by both players and execs. I LOVE the front office staff he put together. He didn't let his ego get in the way of hiring the best people he could get. I'm not sure how many other GM's would hire a pro personnel director that had just interviewed for the same GM job as he did. To me that showed that Beane really wants to succeed and that he was also willing to put the best interest of the Bills first. Time will tell, but I really do have high hopes that Pegula got it right this time, with both the Bills and Sabres, actually.

I think Vic Carucci mis-heard. Brandon Beane's exact words were - "we knew where the money needed to be and we had agreed on that". So I'm not sure where he gets that they has to up their offer.

If he previously backed out of a 1 year deal with the Bills, and it took him this long to sign for just a year, I don't see any circumstance where Boldin agree to a team option on his deal, especially being in the very twilight of his career. A team option on the deal would have been nice, I agree. But I just don't see any way Boldin signed on for that (unless the team option was for a completely ridiculous salary that he just couldn't refuse, but then that likely makes it harder for the Bills to sign him again next year (IMO) if he does well).

Not impressed with Beane so far. He couldn't even sign Boldin. No excuse for that. Right guys? lol (j/k - but this is why it's silly to get so worked up when a FA doesn't immediately sign before training camp has even started). Love this signing! Boosts the WR corps big time IMO. Glad a Boldin decided to sign here.

Boldin will be 37yrs old in 2 months. Plus, they report r that he backed out of a deal with the Bills last week. Maybe it was him who didn't want a multi year deal. A 1 year deal seems right in this scenario. If things go well for him here and he performs, it should be a lot easier to convnice him to sign on for another year. But if things don't go well or his performance starts to quickly decline at 37yrs old the Bills are not locked in for longer.