Logic

Nobody seems to know the details yet, but Joe Marino is saying he thinks IR for Hardy may be a real possibility (not sure if that's of the 4 game variety or the season-ending variety, or what the difference even is any more). Agreed that Hardy balled out and is an exciting prospect moving forward. It just might not be this calendar year that sees him making contributions. Even if he makes it back from IR this year, I could see him being a regular gameday inactive.

Great story, no doubt. He is more raw and requires more refinement and seasoning than he showed in the Pittsburgh game. I agree with the notion that he likely wouldn't have made it to the practice squad, so the Bills' hand was somewhat forced. I will say this: It's best not to get too attached to bottom-of-roster guys who miraculously make the 53 until a week or so has passed. The possibility of a cut from another team being signed by the Bills and forcing a fringe player or two off the roster exists and is not all that remote.

That was a quarter century ago!

They both stunk as returners, though. Like it or not, KR/PR is essentially a starting spot on a football team. Especially with more kicks likely to be returned under the new kickoff format. We didn't have a viable KR/PR. Now we do. And all we had to is something like swap a 2026 6th for a 2026 7th. Of all the things to give a second thought to, this just doesn't seem remotely close to one of them.

But we actually DON'T. The presumptive kick returners KJ Hamler and Andy Isabella were cut. The only remaining returner, Daequan Hardy, is rumored to be injured. Who was gonna return kicks and punts for the Bills?

Yeah gosh that 2026 7th round pick swap sure seems like a huge gaffe on Beane's part.

Best I could do is the article below. Seems like he was brought in strictly to be the Bills' returner. With Hamler and Isabella being cut and the rumor that Hardy is injured, the Bills literally didn't have a viable guy on the roster to return punts and kicks. Codrington is likely that guy. https://www.ganggreennation.com/2024/7/23/24203096/scouting-new-york-jets-udfa-cornerback-returner-brandon-codrington Codrington felt he was overlooked because of his lack of size as a high school recruit, with schools only offering him partial scholarships and preferred walk-on status offers. He instead opted to walk on at NC Central, where family members including his father had attended. Despite initially being buried on the depth chart, Codrington worked his way into the rotation as a freshman and registered six tackles in 12 games while also contributing as a return man. After the 2020 season got cancelled due to the pandemic, he started the first seven games of his career in 2021 and racked up a career-best 43 tackles with four pass breakups. In addition to his performance on defense, Codrington started to make a name for himself on special teams, as he was third in the FCS with a 15 yards per return average on punts and second in the MEAC on kickoffs. This earned him all-conference and HBCU All-American first team honors. In 2022, Codrington’s return numbers dropped off, but he still contributed well on defense with 19 tackles and a pass breakup in five starts. His 2023 season saw him start off as a reserve, but he started the last six games and racked up 25 tackles and a career-high five pass breakups. He also had his best year on punt returns, with two touchdowns and a 19.6 yards per return average to again earn all-conference and all-American first team honors. At the end of his career, Codrington attended the HBCU combine and his pro day, but he wasn’t expected to be drafted and didn’t get signed as an undrafted free agent. However, Codrington then attended the Jets’ rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis and earned a contract with no guaranteed money. Codrington is...very small. Although listed at 5’9” and 185 pounds, he weighed in at just 176 pounds during the offseason and measured less than 5’8”. He also has extremely short arms. At the HBCU combine, Codrington’s numbers were pretty bad across the board, including a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash, 32.5-inch vertical and 4.47 in the short shuttle. He improved on each of these at his pro day, registering marks of 4.55, 35 inches and 4.33 in those disciplines.

The Panthers cut Terrace Marshall. I wonder how Joe Brady feels about his old LSU and Carolina WR...

Agreed. I'm used to seeing these late round OT projects not amount to much. Tommy Doyle, Luke Tenuta, etc. Grable looks like a completely different story. I thought he mostly looked awesome in the preseason. The rare developmental guy who genuinely looks like he could become a starter -- or at least a quality swing tackle -- a year or two down the line.

From that list, give me Andreesen and Spector. Jonathan just doesn't do it for me. The rest are practice squad guys.

I can't help but think that Kincaid is gonna be the de facto number 1 receiver on the Bills. A projection of about 55 yards per game would put him at 935 yards, which would've placed him 5th in the league in terms of receiving yardage among tight ends last year. I'd like to say that 55 yards per game seems like a modest estimate, but with the presence of a (presumably) healthy Dawson Knox and Brady's proclivity for spreading the ball around, it seems like a reasonable estimate to me. In any case, I think Kincaid will become a household name this year and will cement his place as one of the top 5 tight ends in the NFL for the foreseeable future.

I explained myself clearly. I linked an article detailing exactly what I was talking about. It's all out there on Youtube to be watched by anyone with the time and inclination to do so. Your opinion is your opinion. Clearly no input, explanation, or video evidence to the contrary will sway you. That's fine. I truly don't care. Hope you have a great Tuesday.

Fair enough. I still wonder this: He hasn't played football since 2021 and is now 30 years old and coming off a slew of season ending injuries. Why is it that the Broncos -- no paragons of exciting WR depth themselves -- want to trade him away? If the Broncos deem all of Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims, and rookie DeVaughn Vele to be better than Patrick, well...that's kind of a telling assessment of his ability to contribute meaningfully on offense, IMO.

I haven't read the entire thread, but I'd be willing to bet $50 that not a single member of this message board could beat Sean McDermott. He's in intense, wiry, compact little dude. A championship collegiate wrestler with the power of God almighty behind him, who is wired the right way, has Bills DNA coursing through his veins, stacks good days, regularly sharpens his metaphorical iron (presumably on other iron), and hasn't eaten an empty calorie in over 14 years. If you think any of the message board typin, 14 Bud Lights in a sitting drinkin, turning down invitations to play touch football "because of my knee", extra helping of short ribs eatin, only going to church on Easter and Christmas ass, heathen degens is gonna outbattle SEAN McDERMOTT? I got some oceanfront property in Missouri to sell ya.

You're making wildly more out of what I said than what I actually said. Stevie Johnson was a unique route runner. On most teams, he would've failed because he didn't do things very conventionally, and if you tried to force him to do so, he wouldn't have succeeded. Presumably, the two teams he was on after the Bills DID ask him to do things more conventionally, and his success dropped off considerably, and he was out of the league within two seasons. If you honestly think that head coaches and OCs don't often have massive egos, or that they aren't often "my way or the highway" guys, then I don't know what to tell you. Never said the dude was a Hall of Famer, only that he had a strange and singular way of running routes that happened to give Darrelle Revis fits, and that his style likely wouldn't have thrived on other teams with a less open-minded OC and QB Here's an article about Stevie's unique route running, specifically showing it's success against Darrelle Revis, since you're choosing to be weirdly rude and combative about the whole thing. Have a lovely day, you charming cad. https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2012/6/28/3123004/buffalo-bills-stevie-johnson-route-running-unorthodox

Wow. I did NOT know this about peppercorns. I am well aware of the CBD remedy, as my wife runs a fairly renowned CBD farm out here in Oregon, and we are both huge proponents of the stuff. But peppercorns? News to me. Thanks for that.

To be fair, I think Metchie is almost CERTAINLY an upgrade over Tyrell Shavers, and very possibly an upgrade over Mack Hollins or MVS as well (at least as a pure receiver). I think Coleman/Metchie/Shakir would be a very nice "upside" (to use HappyDays' notion) trio going forward, with Samuel and Hollins and MVS as the trusty vets for the time being. Metchie has inside/outside versatility, good size, and good college production. I would love to add a guy with his potential and his skillset to our offense, and I feel the cost would be relatively minimal.

Normally, OCs/QBs want you to run a route a specific way. A very regimented, textbook, "this is how you do it, these are the steps you take and motions you make and how you get from point A to point B" kind of way. Stevie was never that way. He just used his basketball skills to shake guys loose. He was very unconventional in the way he ran routes and the way he set up opposing defenders. There was no "regimented and textbook way of getting from Point A to Point B" with Stevie. It was just "do what you gotta do to get where we need you to be when the ball is delivered, we don't care how you do it", and it worked. Most OCs/head coaches/QBs don't like giving their players that type of freedom. And in fairness, most players aren't skilled in the unique ways that Stevie was that ALLOWED him to successfully exercise that freedom.

Sad. So many of these guys die way younger than they should. Years of physical stress, travel stress, injuries, concussions, drug abuse...it all takes its toll in tragic ways, and we see it happen again and again and again. Sid was, at times, both a good face and a good heel. Had a great look, a great high boot, and a great powerbomb. Former world champion on both WWE and WCW. One of the goofiest and most rambling and inane promo guys you ever saw. RIP Sid. Gone too soon.

I have a remarkably low tolerance for edibles. Ate two special cookies before an Allman Brothers show and didn't make it past the third song. Crawled back to my car and took a nap next to it. Woke up to see that I was the last car left in the lot and the cops were telling me I needed to leave. I mumbled something like "...buuut I'm dead sir" and he just waved his comedically large flashlight at me and said "move it along". I stick to smoking now.

Yeah, I like him as a prospect. He hasn't done much in camp or preseason to scream "ready to contribute in year one", however.

Another WR rumored to be on the trade block -- but for whom I won't make a separate thread -- is Carolina Panther Terrace Marshall Jr. I mention him because he was with Joe Brady at LSU, and Brady specifically played a big part in Marshall getting drafted by the Panthers. His pro career hasn't blossomed yet (partly due to injury), but changes in scenery (particularly to come play with a coach with whom one has already had success) sometimes do wonders for a player's confidence and success. I think Marshall could be had for less than Metchie. Something like swapping a 6th for a 7th. And despite the Bills already having Coleman and Mack Hollins at X, it's a move I'd be interested in making. Basically, I'd just like the Bills to take another swing at WR before the season starts. Metchie, Marshall, or a post-cutdown-day waiver wire add. I think they need one more legit guy in that group.

Stevie was a real one. His skillset SPECIFICALLY worked in the system he played in here in Buffalo, and because Fitz was his QB. Both Chan and Fitz let him have the freedom to use his unconventional route running tactics, so long as he got where he was supposed to get to and got open. Not every offense in the league -- in fact, almost NO offense in the league -- would let him operate the way he did. It's why he never replicated his success in SF or SD, and why he was out of the league by age 30. I'll never forget the fits he used to give Darrelle Revis. I think Revis struggled against him specifically BECAUSE he was so unorthodox. Revis knew how to defend every WR trick in the book. But Stevie had an entirely different book of tricks all his own. Stevie was a unique and idiosyncratic player and personality. Always really enjoyed watching him. Thanks for sharing this interview.

Agreed, but I think in a lot of cases the player IS willing to go along with it. I think some guys -- late rounders, in particular -- would rather be stashed for a year, collect their pay, and then get a fresh start in year two with a playbook and coaching staff they already know, vs hitting free agency and taking the risk that no other team signs them.