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While I think he'd be worth a look if they had to scramble for someone, I don't think he's a McDermott type of guy. He's stated before that the main reason he plays is so he can provide for his family. Nothing wrong with that, really, but McDermott wants guys who play for more than just the paycheck. Weight-wise, I believe when he was in Seattle they loaded his contract with incentives if he was able to keep his weight at or under a certain number. And as far as I know, he worked pretty hard with their trainers to get to the weight they wanted him at and was able to maintain it for the season or two he was there. I remember his rookie year when he was solid, I busted open a box of cards and got an autographed Lacy rookie card. At that time, his signed RC's were going for $50-$60 on eBay but I was like, meh, I like this one, I'll hang onto it... now it probably would get $10 tops haha.

That's something I always found kinda baffling... keeping a guy on the bench because of his "positional versatility" (which allows them to dress one or two less OL than normal and use those slots somewhere else) even when he's a better option than the guy starting. That's why I think if Groy edges Bodine for the starting center job, they can still use him as a backup at guard in case of injury, just slide him right or left and have Bodine take over at C. Who remembers 2014 when Marrone insisted on starting Cyril Richardson over Kraig Urbik because he felt it was more important for Urbik to serve as the backup OL who could cover either guard spot? That was a debacle, week after week watching Richardson getting his lunch eaten, sometimes not even getting a hand on his guy, and Kyle Orton dropping to the turf like a sack of potatoes before a defender could hit him. It was like halfway through the season before Marrone finally started Urbik over Richardson... and if anyone is wondering (and I know you're all dying to know) Richardson was cut and then on the practice squad for 2015, and then cut completely in 2016. Chicago picked him up but he didn't make it past the practice squad. Funny how things sometimes work out like that. Richardson was an All-American at Baylor and many draft analysts felt he was one of the better OG options in the 2014 draft. To me, the kid just looked too slow to hang in the NFL. Beyond that, I had heard he had a lot of difficulty with the mental side of the game once he got to the NFL. If they roll with Groy at C, they'll dress Bodine as the backup and if either the RG or LG goes down with an injury, Groy will slide over whichever way and Bodine will take over at center. Still getting Groy's positional versatility while not having to dress an extra OL.

We know they really value Groy's versatility and they can still utilize that even if he out-plays Bodine and wins the job at center. If one of the OG's gets hurt, Groy slides into either spot and Bodine comes in at center. This way they're still able to use Groy's versatility and keep themselves from having to dress an additional backup OL for games. I'm with everyone else that's mentioned that they hope Wyatt Teller turns into a late-round steal but if I had to guess right now, I'd bet that he finds himself on the inactive list for most of, if not the entire season. Of course, that's only if the injury bug doesn't decimate the OL. I think the starting 5 will be, Dawkins-Ducasse-Groy-Miller-Mills with Bodine the backup C (and Groy still the backup OG who would shift right or left in case of an injury) and probably Marshall Newhouse as the backup swing tackle. Saw someone mention Andy Levitre and it reminded me of how the old BBMB lost their marbles when the Bills didn't re-sign him. His first year in ATL, he was rough, he's since gotten a lot better but one thing some people forget about ol' Chan Gailey and his Island of Misfit Offensive Players is that one thing Ryan Fitzpatrick does really well is unload the ball quickly. And Gailey ran a west-coast style offense with a lot of short drops and short routes. Fitz getting rid of it so quickly really made that OL in front of him look better than they really were. This is why a team like the Patriots gets away with having a bunch of late-round or undrafted guys starting on their OL. Brady can get rid of it in a snap. Well, there was the 2014 & 2015 seasons (I think?) where NE's OL was allowing Timmy to get hit constantly, which prompted old Bellychecks to call up Dante Scarnecchia who had retired after the 2013 season. Either way, a QB that can get rid of it quick can mask a shaky OL.

That dude who left WGR because the Bills took Allen is kind of a dingbat. I mean, unless he had another job lined up and was planning to leave anyway, quitting your job based on something a sports team did is pretty lame. I don't listen to WGR too much anymore but when I did I would occasionally catch Howard and Jeremy. I really don't mind Howard. Jeremy on the other hand, I dunno, face to face he's probably alright but on the air he seems like he has quite a bit of arrogance. He'd like you to believe he's some kind of expert in fact-based opinions but he's not. Him and the afternoon guys are pretty abysmal at interacting with callers. Surely, they get tired of calls from the not-so-intelligent fans but if any of those guys (sans Howard) gets a caller who has a legitimate opposing opinion to theirs, they either backpedal on what they said, try to tell the caller that they're misinterpreting what they said, or they just listen and go, "Yeah, uh huh, ok, well thanks for calling." Sal C works his a$$ off over there and is easily the best guy to listen to.

Right? People that have formed opinions and found their "facts" on Twitter played a huge role in that orange crap-sack ending up in the White House. It's just crazy to see how controlling the mob mentality can become.

I don't really have much to say regarding the actual allegations. What's nearly just as alarming as these accusations is how quickly and easily so many people instantly believe it. Just quickly browsing through the comments on Shady's IG page was ridiculous. There are people threatening him, telling him they hope he dies, hope he gets robbed, loses all his money, has his kid taken away, etc. etc. and all of this without zero evidence that any of this stuff actually took place. There aren't any witnesses to corroborate any of these allegations, there have been no confirmed facts, really no nothing yet the pitchforks are out and a whole sh*tload of people automatically buy what they see/hear and then social media provides a way for them to personally go after someone. It's mind-blowing and disgusting. I feel like anyone associated with even like, a D-list celebrity or anyone remotely famous could go on one of their social media outlets and say, "So the other day, I invented the cure for cancer, visited a few billion galaxies, altered reality, went back in time and slapped Abe Lincoln for the hell of it, had a vacation on Uranus and then made a helicopter magically appear from my left nostril." And the comment section would be plastered with crap like, "Yup, for sure, this is definitely true. Why would this guy lie? I have zero proof, evidence or anything whatsoever to verify this story but I KNOW it's true, I just know it, and if you question me, or this guy, then YOU are a lying, racist, sexist, abusive piece of crap and you should be locked up in jail for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111" It's freaking insane. And I know that's just the way of things these days. Even reputable media sources have altered their methods over the last few years from working to report truthful, verified, factual news to working on being the first outlet to slap a link on Twitter or Facebook. It's not about who's got the real story, it's all about who's first. F*ckin' sucks.

I'm trying to make sense of it. Talley was a 2nd round pick and after a slow start to his career, he was a key part of the defense during the Super Bowl runs in the 90s. Made two Pro Bowls and was named first or second team All-Pro by several national sporting publications. Mark Kelso was a 10th round pick of the Eagles in '85, so, I'd say his career was moderately successful as he was likely seen as a guy lucky to make a practice squad. Played in 99 games and recorded 30 career interceptions. Also wore the famous double-bubble helmet while with the Bills. Jeff Wright was taken in the 8th round of the '88 draft. Averaged 4.5 sacks a year as part of the DL rotation. Primarily played nose tackle so, to average 4.5 sacks a year from that spot isn't too bad. And again, super late round pick and we all know late round picks that end up being productive players (or starters, and Wright started 67 out of 98 career games, excluding playoffs, in which he appeared in 16 of those) aren't too common so... wouldn't say he's anywhere near deserving to be on the list of All-Time Not Good Bills Players. Michael Huff, a safety picked by the Raiders one slot before Whitner, also had a very underwhelming career. And he was the consensus top-ranked safety that year, seen as one of the best defensive prospects available and generally looked at as a "can't miss" kinda player. Just looked at the 2006 draft and not one safety from that class had a standout career. In fact, 2006 overall was a pretty rough year for picks. The best players from that entire group: Mario Williams (for a few seasons of his career, including 2014 w/Bills), D'Brickashaw Ferguson, AJ Hawk (for a first round pick his career kinda screams 2nd/3rd round player), Vernon Davis, Haloti Ngata, and Nick Mangold. Those were the first round guys that, IMO, had first-round careers. Andrew Whitworth came out of that draft in round two, he's had a solid career. Jahri Evans was a fourth round guy who, for a time, was one of the top OGs in the league. Stephen Gostkowski was another fourth rounder who may actually go down as the best all-time Patrtiots kicker, yes, even over Vinatieri as Gostkowski's Pats' career is longer than his. Brandon Marshall and Elvis Dumervil were also fourth round choices from that class that have done well. And with the first pick in the fifth round, pick 134 overall, the Buffalo Bills select... Kyle Williams, defensive tackle, Louisiana State. While he's probably not a Hall of Famer, he's most certainly a Bills Wall of Famer and he's had a stellar career for a dude who was seen as a "high motor, good effort guy but ultimately too small to be anything more than a backup at the next level" (that kinda stuff was all over his scouting reports) kinda player. Drafted right after him was Rob Ninkovich, and while he was a douchey Pats player, he had a good career. After that, there are a few other players (like Delanie Walker) that had/are still having decent careers. And wow, I didn't realize how far off track I got but yeah, the '06 draft will not go down as a very good one. Donte Whitner... well, if he had been taken where he was projected (late first round) then there probably isn't too much to complain about. But, he went 8th overall in 2006 and while he put together an 11-year career (starting 152 out of 157 games), made two Pro Bowls later in his career (one with the 49ers in 2012, the other with the Browns in 2014), he only had 11 career interceptions. I always felt like the guy was way too focused on trying to land the big hit rather than playing the ball properly. An 11-year run with two Pro Bowls in the NFL ain't bad but you probably expect more from the #8 overall pick in 2006. Underwhelming as he was, still not one of the worst Bills ever. The OP said s/he named these players under the perspective of "not living up to their potential" which you can maybe apply to Whitner but it's not his fault he was over-drafted. Talley, for a second-round guy, had a solid career. Wright and Kelso, as late round picks, both had fairly solid careers so... I dunno, maybe the OP just doesn't like those guys. Maybe Donte Whitner stole his lunch money one time, I dunno.

Rams over Steelers

Can't argue guys like Maybin, Mike Williams, etc. Based on their hype and draft slot, they were pretty rough. I'm surprised most have already forgotten about Cyril Richardson. He was drafted as part of Marrone's OL overhaul to switch from guys that could move around to guys that were all 6'5" or more and tipped the scales at 345 lbs. Richardson was infuriating as he started, what, like 8 games in 2014 while a much more competent guard (Kraig Urbik) was on the sidelines. Richardson was just way to slow to keep up with NFL D-linemen. You could also throw Cyrus Kouandjio in there, he came in the same class as Richardson (as did Seantrel Henderson) and never lived up to the 2nd round pick used on him. Unlike Richardson, he actually did have a couple of games where he played half-way decent and he's still in the league (backup OL in Denver) whereas Richardson... I think he was with Houston for a hot minute (don't quote me) but his career is already done.

Pretty solid analysis. It seemed like there wasn't much concern whenever they needed Dawkins to step in. He's as advertised so far, strong in the run game, very good once he gets locked on, struggles with speed and finesse, which are things a lot of OL struggle with (see: Mills, Jordan). Kid definitely seems to have his head on straight and appears to be a "process" player.

Fair question. Turns out the Pats haven't worn the white helmets in a while due to the rule change in 2013. Here's an article from March 2017 about throwbacks and whatnot. Apparently the Eagles proposed a rule change to allow different colored helmets during the season. I'm not sure what came of that proposal but I assume it got shot down since we haven't seen any teams don their throwbacks with a different colored helmet.

In addition to a high work ethic, seems clear McBeane want players who are selfless, team-first guys who prioritize winning above personal achievements.

I kinda dig the Phins throwbacks and think they should revert back to those. The color tones on the throwbacks are better than the lighter tones on their current uniforms. Chargers throwbacks are always sweet. Pats all red throwbacks aren't bad. Same for the Falcons. Would definitely like to see Buffalo put together 90s era throwbacks but the NFL has that (*^*&%^$^#rule that doesn't allow teams to use more than one helmet per season.

Solid point, sir.

Aside from Shady, the ages of some of the guys in the RB group aren't really a big deal considering they've mostly been second or third string guys without a lot of mileage on them. Like, Cadet for instance, been in the league since 2012 but has 49 career carries. But I don't disagree that Darkwa wouldn't be a bad pickup, added competition is usually always good.

Good read. It'd be cool to see what other players he had trade talks about with other teams.

I presume his role will involve carrying the football when it is handed to him or thrown to him. I kid. I kinda always felt Ivory was a bit underrated. He should be an ideal compliment to Shady. Defenses should get tired from chasing down 25 and when he needs a breather, let Ivory run over some guys. A lot is made of his YPC during his run in Jacksonville, but their other back, TJ Yeldon, a 2nd round pick, averaged 3.6 yards in 2016. Keep in mind, these guys were working in the prolific, bleeding edge, otherworldly offensive schemes built by Doug Marrone and Nate Hackett. Marrone lives for that "three yards and a cloud of dust" BS and he's a stubborn turd dumpling who would rather "impose his will" than adjust and adapt to the changes of the game. When he left Buffalo, several OL said the guy would never adjust or deviate away from his inside zone. Plus, he wanted behemoths at every position on the OL. Kouandjio and Henderson were both drafted for their size, as was Cyril Richardson (who was abysmal in his rookie year yet Marrone waited eight weeks before finally replacing him with Kraig Urbik who is by no means an all-star but he certainly was better than Richardson). So he has these monster OLs and prefers big, bruising backs, doesn't adjust his blocking schemes, loves "old school" football so that's exactly what you're gonna get when combining those things. Big backs behind big OL averaging three and a half yards a carry. While Daboll is unproven in the NFL, I believe he has the proper mindset for today's NFL. He will identify what his guys do well and scheme around that. That alone should make some difference. And although Ivory is 30, he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him. Career average of just under 12 carries a game, consistently a secondary option aside from 2015 which was the only season in which he was "the guy" he went over 1000 yards, scored 7 rushing TDs and averaged 4.3 YPC, not too shabby. Obviously Shady is the focal point but Ivory and Cadet combine for a pretty diverse group. It's up to Daboll to figure out how best to utilize them.

Yes, he will make it and will play an important role. And there's no way Beane would simply cut the kid. Not when he knows there would be a number of teams interested in a young DE who maybe just didn't land in the right situation. But it seems clear that Shaq has gotten the message. I sense that he was the type of player who felt like he would be able to coast on his athleticism without putting in the extra effort needed in the NFL. Clearly, that mindset doesn't fly McDermott. I think the kid will turn the corner and show us something this season.

The website is whatever. As someone pointed out, it does seem like there have been fewer articles and such as of late. I'll check out interviews and press conference videos from time to time but that's about it. Their mobile app needs work. There's a 50/50 chance it crashes each time I try to open it. The features are extremely limited and you'd think they would have the store built into the app but when you click the link to check out the store it takes you to the desktop version of the store's website.

I've heard Shady mentioned more than a few times by media guys as one of the more interesting players to talk to. He's not one to give the typical stock answers. He generally has pretty good stuff to say. Based on the quotes I read posted here, seems he's keeping a close eye on the QB competition.

A lot of first round contracts get done during the time off after minicamps and before training camp, sometimes a couple weeks into camp. It used to be teams would wait it out to see what kinds of deals players that were drafted within 2-3 picks of their guy were getting before working out a contract just to see how the money works out. But now with the wage scale, the parameters are already set... but what I'm not sure on is the guaranteed money. Is that something that can still fluctuate depending on where a player was drafted? Or is the guaranteed amount already set as well?

It's shaping up to be a more interesting QB competition than most realize because... A) It's obvious that McDermott is a fan of Peterman, so he'll be interested to see how he's improved and I'm sure he'll give him plenty of reps with the 1's and have him start one or two pre-season games. B) Even though they weren't there at the same time, McCarron has a connection with Daboll and it's been said that McCarron has been able to help teammates understand some of the concepts Daboll will use as some of them are the same/similar to things McCarron did at Alabama. C) The front office and ownership are likely gonna wanna see what Allen can do sooner rather than later. Even if he doesn't win the starting job coming out of pre-season, whoever starts will need to string together some impressive performances because once they start to falter, the calls for Allen to take over will start. In an ideal situation, Allen goes out there and wins the starting job convincingly.

Yeah, like others have said, you just have to hope you pick an area to spectate from where players will come by after practice and sign stuff. Depends on which field they use as well, there are two practice fields at Fisher, one is artificial turf and the other is grass. Keep an eye on the Bills website for the training camp events schedule. They have an autograph tent set up for the kids and a handful of players are scheduled daily to do an autograph session for an hour or two. It's probably a certainty that Allen will be scheduled for the tent at some point since all the rookies have plenty of appearance obligations to meet in their rookie year. Other than that, just try to find out which way guys are headed after practice and see if you can catch them. Few years back I bought a Clemson mini helmet because I wanted Watkins to sign it. Took it with me two years in a row and just missed him both times. On the upside, I have a friend who gets VIP access for camp and that year (2014) they had the "Cold Front" DL and I ended up with a mini helmet signed by Hughes, Mario, Kyle and Dareus, as well as a bunch of other defensive players. Apparently it was their day to sign stuff along the VIP fence after practice. Aaron Williams stayed out there for over an hour, great kid, signed any and everything that came his way. And when Tyrod was there he was often one of the last players to head inside after a practice as he spent plenty of time signing stuff and giving selfies with people. Also... and I know how most on this board feel about EJ but holy crap in a bucket, the dude is GIANT. I'm 6'1" and felt like I may as well have been 3'7" or whatever. Monster of an athlete. Same thing with Mario Williams. Kyle on the other hand, same height as me and aside from being built like a tank, you wonder just how friggin' strong he is to be able to win his fair share of one-on-one's against OL who are 6'6" and 340 lbs. Leverage, technique and fundamentals, Kyle Williams is an expert at these. Plus he puts in 100% every practice. Model player. Easy to see why McDermott has personally confided in him regarding the direction of the team and why he leans on him heavily as a team leader.

Hmm... fair question. I'm not sure. I'm assuming they wrote the rule in a way that basically says no major alterations can be made to the helmet. Teams used to be able to wear throwback uniforms with a different colored helmet but now with the emphasis on head injuries, CTE, etc. the league has a real thorough checklist for equipment managers to maintain. They must feel that using a different colored helmet (even though the alternate helmet would be the exact same model and size that the player already wears, plus they can take the same facemask and put it on the alternate) could strengthen the opportunity for a head injury. "Oh, Player A wore a throwback helmet in week ten, there was a slight chinstrap alteration which caused his concussion, therefore we, the league, are not liable because we told teams at the beginning of the season that they have to use the same helmet for the entire season!" Or some whacky sh!t like that.

Such a bummer to not be able to walk away on your own terms, but at the same time, very fortunate for him that the severity of his injury was discovered before it became way worse. Wood's been one of my favorite Bills since he came in back in '09. Easy to see why teammates gave him the C. When he was a rookie, my cousin worked in the PR department with the Bills. Every year, the rookies are contractually obligated to participate in a number of public events (Play 60, signings, giveaways, etc. etc.) and my cousin said every time Wood had to attend one of these PR things, he was always the last guy to leave, making sure he greeted as many people as possible. And then afterwards, he would take the PR employees out to dinner on him. I'm glad he was part of the drought ending and if he wants to remain close to football, maybe the Bills will find a spot for him. Aside from that, I think he'd probably do well in broadcasting.