BigAl2526

Defensive tackles under contract for 2025 are: Daquan Jones (1 tech), Ed Oliver (3 tech), Dewayne Carter (3 tech) and Branson Deen (3 tech - a futures deal). is still on his rookie deal. While officially on the roster at the moment, these players will be gone when free agency begins: Austin Johnson, Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips. Phillips has said he wants to re-sign with the Bills and would retire if the Bills don't want him. While he is huge, his skill set is better suited to 3 tech. If Daquan Jones isn't good enough any more, the Bills have nobody they would want to start at 1 tech. Branson Deen is admittedly a scrub, but Carter may be able to develop into a decent rotational guy if he can stay healthy, and, of course, Oliver is a former first round pick who, while he had a down year in 2024, has shown flashes and might shine with quality players around him.

Is he a 3 tech? His size and stats would suggest so. If the price is right, there's probably a place for him on the roster. I think the bigger need is for a 1 tech as Daquan Jones was disappointing in 2024. Ed Oliver didn't blow people away either, but the speculation has been he underperformed because Jones wasn't drawing enough attention from opposing offensive linee.

The free agent market for WRs is starting to look like a buyers market with player after player being added to the mix. The question is will Beane lean toward proven veterans in the twilight of their careers, who might be an injury risk and will likely want substantial contracts, Stars in their prime who want to be paid like stars in their prime or younger guys with desirable traits that haven't produced as hoped for various reasons. Then, of course, there are scrubs who can be picked up for a little bit of nothing. One thing is certain: Beane is going to look over the market carefully. He's got the cap dollars to make one or two splash signings, depending on the size of the splash. My guess is he would rather spend the big bucks on defense.

He won't be ready for training camp. If the Bills don't release him outright, they could stash him on their PUP list in hopes he can come in in 2026 and compete. It wouldn't cost the Bills much and would have zero impact on the cap. It lets Rogers keep his foot in the door.

I like Hollis and I hope Buffalo can retain him. I'm ambivalent regarding Amari Cooper. If he is willing to sign a modest contract, sure, but I think he's probably looking for a bigger deal. I think the Bills hope Keon Coleman has a significant bump in production in2025 and will man one spot as a starting outside receiver, but that means the other spot is wide open. Hollis is not going to be a starter. Depending on how the first round plays out I could easily see Buffalo drafting a WR. After the top ten picks or so, mock drafts are all over the place on where players might be drafted. Kenneth Grant might be available at #30 or he might be drafted in the middle of the round. It's the same with Mike Green or any one of the two or three CBs mentioned in the first round. Safeties too: Starks or Emmanwori could be available or might not be. At WR, I've seen Matthew Golden and even Luther Burden mocked to the Bills, so almost anything is possible. I'm pretty sure Buffalo's first round pick (if the don't trade it away) won't be a RB, QB, TE, OL, PK, P or LB. Any other position is fair game.

If the Bills can sign Slay to a reasonable contract, it makes some sense. In any case, the Bills are not going to put all their eggs in one basket when it comes to finding a starter at CB to pair with Benford. I assume they will draft a CB that they think has the ability to compete to start. Even if they sign Slay and draft a potential starter, they might look for additional insurance.

Possibly on day 3.

Davidson's weakness is blocking. The Bills seem pretty intent on having their third tight end possess a skill set that includes blocking. It's hard to see him beating out a tight end who can block as well as catch a pass even if he is a better receiving tight end. Maybe he can pack some more muscle onto his frame and polish up his blocking, but he hasn't so far.

An NFL training camp roster consists of 90 players. That's going to include cheap veteran free agents as well as draft choices. Buffalo could conceivably dump Von Miller and possibly even AJ Epenesa to give them more cap room. That's assuming they try to bring in an upgrade as a starter. That still leaves room for a guy like Smith as depth.

Both Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin have deficiencies as NFL safeties. Even if Buffalo is convinced Cole Bishop is going to be a stud, there is room for an upgrade at the other safety spot. In a perfect world, I'd like to see Buffalo draft a monster nose tackle at #31, but a great safety would not be the worst pick they could make.

Sean McDermott is on the record as not wanting a smurf receiver on the outside. That may rule out Marquise Brown. Darius Slayton and Dynami Brown probably measure up sufficiently to satisfy McDermotts height requirement.

Unlike DTs, Buffalo is looking at a variety of edge rushers, from big physical guys to smaller edge benders.

It is interesting that Buffalo's interest in DTs seems to lean more toward 1 tech types. Even Walter Nolen, who is under 300 lbs, is seen as more of a1 tech than a 3 tech. It looks like Buffalo is all over the safeties in the draft, and has a lot of interest in CBs too.

I doubt that the Bills or NE would be inclined to trade within the division. I think the Bills are looking for a significant upgrade from Jones. Godchaux is a lateral move. The draft is real deep at DT. I think that's where Buffalo will look.

Allen is 300 lbs. I think the bigger need right now is a 1 tech, a big body that won't be bullied by big strong offensive linemen. There are some big bodied defensive linemen in the draft. If Buffalo doesn't get Kenneth Grant in the first, maybe they can target Deone Walker or someone else in the second.

I agree the Bills are not going to break the bank for James Cook. If the Bills can't extend Cook for something in the $10 million a year range, they may well move on. I like the idea of trading him if they can find a partner. They will want a replacement that has some juice like Cook has. I don't think there's any way Buffalo ends up with Garrett. I think the combination of the contract he'll want and the draft capital Cleveland will want will scare them away. I'll just have to wait and see what the rest of the market looks like. I do think the Bills are going rely on the draft for defensive tackle help. We'll see what they can do in free agency and the trade market at edge rusher. I'm not too worried by the lack of blue chip DBs. I think there are a lot of DBs that can be picked up in later rounds that can help the Bills. I do think Buffalo needs to find someone to replace Amari Cooper and hopefully get more production than he did. I still think Buffalo needs to add some speed at the position.

I'm more interested in upgrading the position, not moving sideways. Sign a tier 2 free agent at least and then draft a guy in the first two rounds of the draft.

Agreed. A good number of players who don't get invited to the combine end up being draft picks, so a prospect who is likely to be a UDFA not being invited is normal even if he's an All-American.

I'm hearing that this draft has only a handful of blue chip round one prospects. I'm inclined to believe that given the fact that there seems to be no consensus on how to value a number of players. Case in point: I've seen Tyliek Williams being mocked in the first half of round one and dropping out of round one altogether. It is the same for a number of other players. I've not seen Ezeiruaka mocked in the first round anywhere else. I know Buffalo traded out of round one last year. They might have to trade up a long way to get a really elite player, like twenty spots. That would be very costly in terms of draft capital. Beane will have to be really convinced about a prospect's ability to become a difference maker for the Bills considering the needs that Buffalo has on defense and at WR. I think like last year the odds are greater for the Bills to trade down if they can find a deal they like. Bean might find it tempting to trade #30 for something in the 5 to 10 range in round two and a pick in round 3.

Wow. I'll be 74 in a little more than a year. I sure hope that I can make it past my 74th year.

Can't say it's a surprise. Just too many mistakes on special teams this past season.

My sister-in-law and family live in Denver, NC, just a bit north of Charlotte.

I'm still ticked off at the league for scheduling the Bills as the "home team" in London versus the "visiting" Jacksonville Jaguars, who are far more experienced playing games in London AND had played the week before in London, giving them an extra week to get acclimated.

It depends on whether his goal was to be on an NFL roster and making a nice salary, or playing a meaningful number of snaps in an NFL regular season and making a difference to a team. You are right. He has been on the Bills' roster for years, though some of those years he lost completely to injury, spending them on IR. It's also true that hundreds of players come and go in the NFL leaving with fewer years than Doyle. I still think he leaves wishing his career had been a little more.

At the very least, it is an interesting proposal.