BillsFanForever19

No, I don't think I am. They could have easily just said nothing and addressed the release after practice. They specifically told the media that they should let it be known he is still a member of the team. Also...

Yes, but they also told the media that they should let it be known he is still on the roster as of practice. Would seem odd that they'd tell them to say he's still a member of the team and then an hour later say he's not a member of the team.

So they specifically told Media to let it be known that he is still on the roster as of the start of practice. Would they tell them to say that just to say he was off the roster after practice?

Originally, practice was going to be at 3 and McDermott was going to speak before Practice. Then they said Practice was going to be moved to 4 bc they got in late and McDermott would still speak before Practice. Then they said Practice would be at 4, but McDermott would now speak post Practice. I think this speaks volumes that they're trying to get all their ducks in a row before McDermott speaks again. Which is sad because he should just be focusing on Practice and Beane should be speaking.

He wants the Bills to release Araiza and is putting pressure on them to do so because the Bills doing that would presume his guilt and assist his case. As I mentioned in an earlier post, doing so would also open them up to a Civil Case from Araiza's attorney's for hindering his case if he were to be found guilty. While I understand the sentiment behind fans saying "cut him now", it's not that simple. Atm I think their only recourse would be to place him on a Team Leave Suspension until the case has settled itself and then go from there.

Given that the alleged incident occured Pre-Draft, he can't be placed on the NFL Exempt list. And to release him now before the case plays out will presume guilt and hinder his case - which could open the Bills to lawsuits themselves. We're kind of stuck. Maybe they can place him on some sort of Team Leave until the process plays out. Maybe they can release him and specifically state it's only for not making them aware of the issue Pre-Draft. But it's tricky. It's not as cut and dry to simply release him as many are suggesting.

You were saying?

We're 3 and a half hours from Kickoff and Matt Araiza is the only Punter on this team. They haven't made any announcement regarding us signing another Punter. At this point, it's definitely looking like he's playing.

Well, damn. According to this article the Bills have known about this for weeks and still went ahead and released Matt Haack and gave Araiza the job. They must have some information that they feel paints all of this in a different light.

I can't see the NFL or the Buffalo Bills allowing someone being sued and criminally investigated for Rape on the field.

Obviously this isn't the biggest issue at play here. But we have a game today. Who is going to Punt? Are they going to put him on the field tomorrow?

One things for sure, if they trade him, they wouldn't trade him to us.

Not going to happen. Taiwan is a lock. McDermott sat him to protect him all Pre-Season. He doesn't do that if a player is even remotely on the bubble. Never has he protected a player and then released them.

Correct. He got a shot because they were a bad roster with open spots on the depth chart. We have 4 different RB's that are above him on the depth chart and saw the field before he did in Pre-Season. He's not getting a spot above Singletary, Cook, or Moss. With what Duke Johnson has shown on Goal Lines and Return (in more important playing time), I don't think they'd even keep Blackshear over him. And he's probably not going to make the roster either. Blackshear has a spot on this team. It's the Practice Squad. He'll be released, unclaimed, and be back for development. People need to learn to stop falling in love with fringe prospects performances in the Pre-Season against other fringe prospects. There's a reason they're playing that late in the game. And that's they aren't valued by the team as much as other players. Blackshear is 2022's Christian Wade or Antonio Williams and his role on this team will be the same as theirs.

Probably has way more to do with Jordan Poyer than it does Odell. I want Odell here and think it's possible. But if you're Odell and you're not going to be ready until November, why wouldn't you wait to see what the landscape is going to be like when you are ready? Sign with a team today, you could miss out on the opportunity for more playing time elsewhere from starters going down to injury or suspension, etc.

If Tenuta and Spector are to the PS and everyone else sticks, that's 6.

I've said this in other posts. But this concept of "there's no way we can sneak him on the Practice Squad" makes me laugh. There are UDFA RB's across the league who have looked good late in Pre-Season games while playing against other UDFA's/Late Rounders/Practice Squad/Future Cut Players. No team that felt he wasn't worth Drafting in 7 Rounds is going to look at what he did in the 3rd and 4th Quarters of Pre-Season games after Singletary, Cook, Moss, and Johnson got their carries on another team and say "I must sign this man to my 53 man roster!" Every season, fans fall in love with a fringe roster player and work themselves up into thinking we can't sneak them on the Practice Squad. Seldom if ever are they given roster spots on other teams. It's been talked about all offseason that "difficult decisions" will have to be made given the strength of our roster. This isn't even one of them. Gone are the years of a UDFA impressing late in games and earning a spot because the open spots don't really exist on this team anymore. Every year since McDermott has been here, he's kept 3 True RB's (Singletary, Cook, and Moss), a core Special Teams RB (Jones, who isn't going anywhere no matter how hard certain fans want it), and a FB (Gilliam). Of those 3 True RB's, McDermott only dresses 2 on Game Day and the 3rd (whether it was Matt Breida or T.J. Yeldon before him) only dresses if there's an injury or poor play from one of the normal 2. So there's no way they're going to carry more than 3 when the 3rd doesn't even play. Long story short, he's earned the right to replace Antonio Williams on our Practice Squad. In the EXTREMELY unlikely chance that Blackshear was scooped up, they'd probably be thrilled for him getting a better opportunity elsewhere than he would here. They'd look to bring back Duke (who's above Blackshear on the depth chart, has looked just as good, if not better, scoring 2 TD's last week and showing Return ability) or sign another RB to the Practice Squad and not lose any sleep.

Yes, he is. He was sat both games to be protected. That wouldn't happen if he were remotely on the bubble. McDermott has never sat players who didn't make the roster. They'd showcase him for other teams. Same thing happened last season and people tried to make arguments as to why it didn't matter and he was here. Also, I'll say this until I'm blue on the face, every year people overhype an overachieving UDFA who performs well late in Pre-Season games against other UDFA/PS/Soon to be released players. And every year they say "someone's going to scoop him up". And it doesn't happen. Singletary, Cook, Moss, and Johnson all saw the field before Blackshear in both games and we're only keeping 3 of those 4. Practically every fanbase in the league has a Blackshear they're overhyping based on Preseason garbage time. He'll be back on the Practice Squad without issue. No one's giving him a spot on their 53 based on 3rd and 4th quarter performances in Preseason for another team at the RB position. And if someone did, this regime would be thrilled for him having a better opportunity than he would here. They'd probably bring Duke back on the Practice Squad and not miss a second of sleep over it.

Kinda surprised we made the move now given that Greg Mancz was just carted off, Ike Boettger isn't ready, and Greg Van Roten has apparently not looked good. I'm not against the move. Just wondering what the plan is outside of the starting lineup, David Quessenberry, and Tommy Doyle.

I think Hodgins will need to show more in Special Teams next week for Kumerow to be cut, especially after ST's performed subpar with his first looks there in the game, and now that Austin has been released. We kept 6 True WR's and Kumerow for the Core ST's last season. With Austin gone and Stevenson hurt, that leaves Diggs, Davis, McKenzie, Crowder, Shakir, and Hodgins as the obvious 6 True WR's. Hodgins would need to show he can perform ST's up to Kumerow's level to justify keeping just him instead of both. Blackshear will be released and brought back for the Practice Squad. He's the yearly overachieving UDFA that people work themselves into a frenzy about and think there's no way we can get them back for the PS when it's really not an issue.

Stevenson is going to IR. No way he's taking a spot injured over Hodgins and Kumerow.

I mean, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But considering they just gave him an extension, he's not going anywhere.

Anyone who thinks Taiwan Jones could be replaced after McDermott specifically protected him by sitting him all Pre-Season is kidding themselves. That never happens for a healthy player who is remotely on the bubble.

Benford is a lock. He started the game last week and played very early in the 2nd game. Hodgins probably makes the team since they seem to be comfortable with McKenzie and Shakir on returns and Austin never got any return opportunities. That frees up a spot at WR. But either he or Kumerow would be released if Odell Beckham Jr. were to choose Buffalo. But I definitely disagree with the idea that Blackshear would "never" make it to the Practice Squad. UDFA RB's who perform well late in Pre-Season games are a dime a dozen. I don't see him being scooped up by another team for their 53 man roster. McDermott and Beane have always carried 3 RB's (Singletary, Cook, and Moss), a Special Teams "RB" (Jones), and a FB (Gilliam). And of that lineup, McDermott has always only dressed 2 true RB's on Game Day. The 3rd (whether it was Matt Breida or TJ Yeldon before him) wouldn't dress unless there was an injury or replacing a RB for poor play. That roster spot will go to CB Cam Lewis (especially if White is going to miss time), TE Tommy Sweeney (if we're going to run 2 TE sets, we need to carry at least 3 TE's), or DT Brandin Bryant (we carried 11 DL to the 53 last season. Maybe we carry 1 less, but 2 is pushing it IMO). I see no way all 3 of those players aren't here in favor of a 4th RB when McDermott doesn't use a 3rd unless of emergency. He'll take the place of Antonio Williams on the Practice Squad.