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And I think he has a much better chance of doing that then people are giving him credit for. McKenzie was cut by the Broncos and ended up here for fumbling too many returns. He had 6 fumbles in 2017, 3 were lost. In 2018, he had 2 more and lost one of them. This is why he wasn't used as a Returner for us very often. Even when we were down a return man, we would often put Micah Hyde back there to return Punts because he was more trusted to cleanly handle them. That combined with us drafting a return man in Stevenson and I don't see it being a done deal that McKenzie's just being handed the job. I think it's at least an open competition between the two. Or possibly just Stevenson's job in their eyes outright.

He's one of our core Special Teamers and was re-signed this offseason for that very reason. Not gonna happen. Especially when you consider we're already probably going to have to cut one of our other core Special Teamers in Daryl 'Bam Bam' Johnson from a pure numbers standpoint at Defensive End.

Everybody is sleeping on Marquez Stevenson. He was drafted in the same round as Hodgins was last season and 99.9% of Bills fans are strangely raving about and penciling in Hodgins on the 53 while cutting Stevenson - when they've both played the same amount of snaps in the NFL. I feel that Stevenson's strengths of speed and return ability are needed more in this WR core than Hodgins size and red zone ability. McKenzie has shown a proclivity for fumbling in the return game throughout his career. They generally rolled out Micah Hyde to return Punts over him. There's a reason why a specialist was drafted this season. The way I see it, Marquez Stevenson, Isaiah Hodgins, and Jake Kumerow are battling for one spot. I tend to feel that Kumerow making the 53 is pretty much slim to none - short of injuries or something else unforeseen. I think they hope he'll be on our Practice Squad to call up in the event of injury. Which means GB can sign him to their 53 whenever they want anyways. I'd get on the phone with them now. If you can get something for him, do it. I like Touchdown Jesus quite a bit. But if you can get an asset for someone you'll lose for nothing anyways - get ahead of the game.

He was supposedly holding out for a trade, then he reported, now he's requesting a trade again? Even if we had the money, even if we hadn't drafted 3 DE's in the first two rounds over the past two seasons, even if we didn't tell Addison if he takes a paycut he can stay - he's 31 years old, switching teams, and coming off surgery in which he hasn't played in almost a full calendar year. For what it would cost in picks, money to keep him happy, and how our depth chart stands right now - no way.

I don't see either being on the roster if we sign Short. Our Interior would be Ed Oliver, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, and Vernon Butler. Especially when you consider Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, Gregory Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, and Carlos Basham are all locks at the End positions and some are pushing for Obada to stay as well.

I'm going with Marquez Stevenson. Isaiah Hodgins may be good. But I'm somewhat baffled by the amount of buzz and confidence from fans he has for a guy who was a 6th Round pick last season and has never so much as played a down of Pre-Season football. Let's see what he's got first. I see almost everyone looking at him as a lock and Stevenson as the odd man out. But I feel speed and Kick Return ability is more of a need in this core than size and red zone ability. And Stevenson was drafted by this team in the very same Round as Hodgins.

Or Kawann Short. Honestly, I feel better about our Corner's than I do our 1-Tech and Tight End situations.

With his injury history over the past couple seasons, it would be a gamble to rely on him to start and take the majority of the snaps. As a rotational piece with Star, he'd be perfect. Especially given our lack of depth at 1-Tech. And our affinity for Carolina Panthers 😛 I'd be surprised if we weren't one of the teams in on this.

I believe that was in response to him discussing his views and stance on the pandemic and vaccination. In my opinion, releasing to the public information on results of testing inside the facility and whether or not that player who tested positive was or wasn't vaccinated (whether or not he mentioned them by name) is a different situation.

Not getting vaccinated is not against team rules. But I have to imagine going to social media to break news on positive tests in the facility could be...

Whether we make a deal for Ertz or not - I find it weird that Beane has been sitting on 2 open roster spots for as long as he has. Now 3 spots after releasing Nazair Jones. I'm used to the roster always being filled at all times with guys being released when guys are signed. Wonder what his plans are for these open spots?

I can't believe Old Navy's quality is that much better than anywhere else that it's worth spending the 12+ hours or so of driving back and forth from Maryland to Buffalo. And whatever you'd save on their price point versus online you'd be more than negating in gas money. But hey man, you do you.

Beane has never told a player that if they'd like to stay, they have to take a paycut and even so much as released them. Not even players we didn't even use like Tyler Kroft. No way in hell is he going to say "thanks for taking that paycut to stay with us, made it easier for me to trade you wherever I feel". This regime puts an emphasis on team building and high morale. I believe a move like that would go against such things.

Probably because the word going around is he's retiring. The release before hand is a formality for him to get more money when he does.

Zimmer overachieved for his pedigree, can't argue that. But let's not get carried away with his importance to the team. He jumped on a fumble and ran fast down the field on an INT return in the playoffs. I'd be surprised if he made the roster this season based on the depth of our D-Line. If he does, bye bye Harrison Phillips.

On one hand: we need another 1-Tech DT beyond Lotulelei. On the other: how often does an UDFA appearing on his 6th team in less than two years make a roster, let alone make a difference?

Us not having WR's who were making a difference in the playoffs had way more to do with injuries than a lack of quality at the position. John Brown was snake bitten all season with his hamstring. When we had him, he was 50% at best. Cole was playing on a broken fibula. Diggs was playing on a torn oblique. Gabe Davis had an ankle injury he was playing through. Essentially, our ENTIRE WR core was injured and toughing it out. So it's not that we don't have the guys. It's just that we were extremely unlucky in the timing of their injuries. Most teams around the league don't have a core as solid as Diggs, Cole, Emmanuel, Gabe Davis, and McKenzie. Most teams around the league are lucky to have 2 studs. The way, I see it - we have 4. If that were to become 3 for whatever reason, I'd feel comfortable (as long as it wasn't Diggs we lost). Especially if we added Ertz. I'd rather do that than add another WR like Golden Tate (who imo is probably the best available WR).

Totally not my intention. Simply replying to a post. Sorry if that's how it came across.

I'm not advocating we cut him. Honestly, we can't. One thing to release a fringe player on the roster for being a distraction and making things difficult because you can just say "he was the 54th man on a 53 roster". Cole's a star. It'd be obvious why we were doing it. I'm more or less speaking to the idea that a.) He retires or b.) The NFL suspends him for habitually not following the guidelines. Looking more and more that one or the other is probably more likely than him playing all season for us. And, yeah, as far as who's on the trade market or a Free Agent that could help in the pass catching department - Ertz is probably our best option. Especially since he's long been linked to us and Beane's never said that there's nothing to the rumors (like he has with other guys we've been linked to in the past). It's either him or signing a WR like Golden Tate.

I agree on the needing 4 DT's and ideally, another 1-Tech needing to be added behind Star. Which is why I'm leaning towards Obada not making the final 53. I think he was signed as insurance in the event we weren't able to land a DE we liked in the Draft. Then we drafted 2 in the first 2 rounds. So... yeah. Although I wouldn't be against a move being made, Corner isn't as huge of a need IMO as others feel. I don't think we were bad at the position last season and I see them even performing better than they did last season. And from what I've seen, Jackson is an upgrade from Josh Norman and that's the only change from last year. As for replacing Cole and needing another TE - I think Ertz should be revisited more than ever now (*ducks oncoming things thrown at him*). I think we're deep enough at WR with Diggs, Sanders, Davis, McKenzie, Stevenson, and Hodgins that we can afford to potentially lose him. Especially if we got another pass catcher like Ertz in the fold at TE.

I wouldn't. Unless he, Rousseau, or Basham are going to spend at least half the time inside playing DT - he's on the outside looking in. Because Hughes, Addison, Epenesa, Rousseau, and Basham are all locks and I've never seen us keep anything more than 5 DE's tops.

I agree on the numbers point. Most of my life, the Bills carried a max of 4 Defensive Ends. In the McBeane years, they've seemed to carry 5. Never once have I seen 6 staying on the active roster. But when it comes to Addison being released, I see another unprecedented issue. Brandon Beane has never told a veteran "we need you to take a pay cut if you want to stay" and then cut the guy anyways. Even with guys we didn't even use like Tyler Kroft. I think it's a bad look to the locker room and their "process" team building. Beyond that, he doubled down in a press conference following the drafting of Rousseau and Basham stating Addison isn't going anywhere. That he's counting on his mentoring the Rookies and even discussed how he plans on using Addison in the rotation re: adjusted snap counts to maximize his impact this season. So I don't think Addison is going anywhere. I see us cutting Obada or carrying 6 guys with us either taking from another position to carry 10 D-Lineman or one of those DE's will be playing both inside and outside ala Quinton Jefferson.

That's completely beside the point. Let's not turn this into a vaccination vs. anti-vaccination debate. The point is - the NFL has the rules in place where you follow them or you're fined and suspended. Cole has stated he will habitually not follow the rules. Ergo - one of our best players WILL be suspended regularly and may retire. If the rules change, then that's a different story. But as they are, this is a problem.

It's not a matter of getting vaxed or not. It's a matter of Cole saying "I won't abide by the regulations put in place by the league". And he IS alone in saying that so far. It's one thing to not get vaxed. It's another to not get vaxed and then publicly say he won't follow the rules that state you'll be fined and suspended for not following.

Regardless of where you stand on the subject - one of our stars outwardly saying he will not abide by the rules of the league is a huge issue. We're now facing, at best, a season where Cole will be fined and suspended on the regular. Think we seriously need to prepare for a season without him, at this point. EDIT: And by "a season without him", I'm not implying we should cut him. I'm simply stating that habitually disregarding NFL rules will lead to him being suspended habitually.