BigAl2526

Cam is the backup nickel back behind Taron Johnson and a depth piece at safety in addition to his special team contributions. He will never be anything more. Jordan Hancock has better size, more athleticism and higher upside. Savage probably will end up ahead of Cam Lewis at safety on the depth chart once he gets acclimated to the Bills' defense. I'm guessing he can also play some outside corner in a pinch, which is where he is most needed at the moment. I think Buffalo stands to be pretty strong at safety next season. Besides Bishop, there could end up being a competition between Hancock and Savage to start at the other side. Take your pick between Hamlin and Rapp for the fourth safety. One of them, probably Hamlin, is probably going to have a tough time making the roster. I think the Bills are going to have to start thinking about the future at nickel CB. Taron Johnson looks to be in the early stages of decline. It's getting harder for him to stay healthy too. Small wonder since he's not the biggest corner around and plays a very physical style.

It is OK to have a run first strategy as part of their arsenal. If you choose to limit the scope of your capability to running the ball, you are inviting opposing defensive coordinators to focus their scheme to shut down the aspect of your game that you depend on. That doesn't even touch on what it means to have one of the elite passers in the league and choosing to use him like a backup game manager.

A slim chance. Thanks. That is helpful to know.

Buffalo will be getting Jackson and Hoecht back next season, but both will be question marks. With Jackson it is both a question of health (his history of multiple injuries) and his ability to transition to the pro game. With Hoecht it is a question of the time it will take to rehab from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Bosa and Epenesa will be free agents. I'd love for Buffalo to re-sign Bosa, but that will depend on Bosa's asking price and cap management. Epenesa is a useful roster member. I'm guessing he'll want a healthy pay raise in his next contract. I'm not sure how much of a pay raise his play deserves given Buffalo's tight cap. Only Rousseau and Solomon are both healthy and under contract after the season. Buffalo pretty much has to add a defensive end in the off season, whether via draft or free agency, if not more than one. The problem is it will be just about impossible to add one that is elite. An elite player in free agency takes more money than Buffalo is likely to allocate to the position. The upcoming draft doesn't seem to have a lot in the way of high end bendy and quick defensive ends. There are more guys that play with power, but there aren't many Joey Bosas. There are more like Jackson whose skillset may or may not translate, but they aren't going to be elite.

Since Buffalo put Slay on the "reserved did not report" list, I wonder if they will release him after Buffalo plays Philadelphia. There is no reason for Buffalo to keep him there indefinitely besides spite. At the same time, I don't especially want to help a future opponent.

I think he would need a fair amount of time to contribute meaningfully as a safety in the Bills' system. The Bills signed him to the 53 man roster, so they are planning on a near term contribution. There are two possibilities for contributing near term. One is the obvious special teams contribution. He obviously has plenty of speed and athleticism. His college profile says he's good in coverage. Buffalo's immediate need is for depth at cornerback. Could he play some cornerback in a pinch?

No. I have a sweatshirt, two jerseys, a couple T-shirts, a pair of Bills slipper crocs (that I wear every day), and Jim Kelly signed football. That last was a gift from my daughter. She bought it at a Christian book store where Jim Kelly was signing them as a fundraiser for Hunter's Hope. I wear all the shirts.

Losing Ingram hurts. It doesn't seem as if the Bills have any leverage in dealing with Slay. The CBs on the PS don't thrill me. Dane Jackson is a low ceiling CB. TeCory Couch combines lack of size with his pedestrian speed and Codrington isn't even that valuable as a returner it seems. The free agent market has mostly leftovers. If I'm Beane, I'm looking through the practice squads of other teams to see if there are some athletic guys with upside. There's got to be some young guys looking for a chance to be on a 53 man roster.

Any chance Philly would give up a seventh round pick to get him back?

At one point, observers thought Geno Smith was dusted. Surprise! Never say never. However, it's hard to imagine that Watson comes out of his extended hiatus without a thick coating of rust. It is also hard to believe that adding Watson would do good things to team chemistry.

Which ones?

$$$$$$

I'm hoping that Ed Oliver can come back for the playoffs. Od all the players on IR who are eligible to return, he's the guy that could make the biggest difference in the defense.

When you play a team twice in a season, it gives you a chance to figure out what the other team is doing. The team that wins the first game is not normally going to make huge adjustments to what they did in the first game. Why would they? They won! The team that lost the first game has more they can and must adjust simply because they lost the earlier game. If the two teams are in the same ball park as far as talent level is concerned, it does give something of an advantage to the team that lost the first time. That certainly doesn't guarantee the team that lost the first time is going to win the second game. There are a whole lot of other factors at play, but it is one reason a second game often plays out quite a bit differently from the first.

I am pretty sure that Sean McDermott is only going to hire a defensive coordinator who runs a defensive system that is similar to the one McDermott is known for. I don't know that he's going to limit himself to offensive coordinators who are spineless, but I think McDermott has a particular philosophy and he wants an offensive coordinator who reflects that philosophy.