BillsFanForever19

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.

They've protected Taiwan Jones both games and Tyler Matakevitch and Siran Neal also sat yesterday. So there's 3 ST Core locks. Found it interesting that they didn't do the same for Kumerow and had Hodgins doing some Special Teams work. I've thought of Kumerow as a lock there after they gave him a new contract. But maybe not depending on how Hodgins has looked to them in Practice, yesterday, and on Friday at Special Teams.

Led a team to an NFC Championship game, has been the starting QB for two different teams, and has 62 starts under his belt. Guy had one bad outing with backup players and everyone wrote him off. He's a more than solid NFL backup.

Not gonna happen. Taiwan Jones was a protected from injury key veteran player last week and again today. Regardless of how anyone feels about him on this board, he's highly valued by McDermott. Even if someone were to do that, we wouldn't carry another RB. His roster spot would just be added on to whatever position the replacing Special Teams player is listed as. You're not replacing a core Special Teamer with anything else but another core Special Teams player. People need to stop thinking of him as taking a RB spot.

Yeah, you can. He's an Undrafted Free Agent playing well against other Undrafted and Practice Squad players. You see guys like that across the league in Pre-Season. Highly doubt he's going to get signed to someone's 53 man roster. If he does, good for him. But we only keep 3 RB's on the 53 (plus a Fullback and Taiwan Jones who is core Special Teams and a RB in name only). Regardless of how he's looked - you're not keeping him over Devin Singletary, James Cook, or Zack Moss. He'll replace Antonio Williams on the Practice Squad.

They were in instant replay going over the previous play when the Punter hit the field and I thought "if Araiza comes out, the crowd is going to cheer. If Haack comes out, I'll hear boos". Soon as I heard the boos, I knew what was up. I don't get it. He's a veteran. You don't need to show him off for the rest of the league. They know what they're getting with him if he's out there.

All the Case Keenum over reactors ready to get off the ledge now?

Araiza continuing to exclusively hold throughout the Preseason wraps up the Punter competition in my eyes, if it was even a question at this point.

Okay, that's all we need to see from Josh and the 1's on offense. Sit em down now.

Considering the contract for Howard was for 3.5 million with 3.2 million guaranteed and regardless of how Sweeney has looked in Training Camp, we know what he's shown in regular season games for years - I'd be hard pressed to give up on Howard before we see how he performs in the regular season.

Lol how? They deemed him no greater than the 8th best WR and straight out cut him. How is that even a debate?

You're missing the point. The point isn't that Practice Squad players are worthless and not worth trying to develop. The point is - that if he was as valuable to them as many make him out to be - he wouldn't have been cut from a roster that included 7 WR's making the 53. They wouldn't have risked losing him. They were okay with that happening. That doesn't scream patience and investment. You say JAG. McDermott and Beane say Special Teams core player who not only made the squad last season for his play there, but was deemed worthy enough to be given a new contract before the start of Free Agency. And I'll give you one guess who's opinion actually matters. If they shared your opinion that he was so replaceable and anyone could do it, they'd have just let him walk and spent the money on someone else for the role.

No NFL player is going to say no to an active roster spot to stay on a Practice Squad. No NFL Team is going to subject a player to waivers that they heavily value. You keep the guys you want on your roster. You cut the ones you can afford to go without. Isaiah Hodgins was the latter last season.

Considering that you a.) Have to release the player and subject them to waivers and then b.) Are placing them in a position to be signed to anyone's active roster at any given time - I wouldn't exactly call that being heavily invested in someone or being patient with a player. Patient to me would be protecting them by giving them a spot on the 53. They flat out cut him.

Let's think here - last season we carried 7 WR's on the roster. We usually keep 6 and the extra spot was for Kumerow's ST's. Even if we were to try to squeeze in OBJ as part of 6 man squad and you want to keep Crowder - Diggs, Davis, McKenzie, Shakir, and Crowder make up only 5. Surely, you wouldn't pass on OBJ for Tavon Austin, Isiah Hodgins, or Marquez Stevenson, right? And you could even keep one of them on the roster until OBJ is ready in November. I don't see it remotely blowing up anything.