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Outside the QB role, which training camp battle are you looking forward to?


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For me its' the WR position because outside of Benjamin and Zay, the other 4 spots are up for grabs.  I wouldn't say Zay is an absolute lock but I'm 99.9% sure he makes the team unless there's another bizarre incident with him.  I think the coaches like Jones and see his potential....he's also a 2nd round pick going into his 2nd year.

 

The other 4 could be shuffled a million different ways.  I am pulling for Streater though.  I do think he has talent and has potential.  Really sucked having him carted off last year in PS after having a great camp.

 

The other is Bodine vs Groy.  I am pulling for Groy.  I know Bodine is "steady" but I think Groy could be good.  

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2 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

WR

CB

Interior OL

 

Whats intersesting to me is Sal C and I believe Joe B discussed Ducasse recently.  Both of them saying Ducasse actually was pretty decent last year.  

 

They both keep hearing from the fans perspective that Ducasse still sucks but believes they are still holding onto his past and preseason last year.  

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5 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Whats intersesting to me is Sal C and I believe Joe B discussed Ducasse recently.  Both of them saying Ducasse actually was pretty decent last year.  

 

They both keep hearing from the fans perspective that Ducasse still sucks but believes they are still holding onto his past and preseason last year.  

I was not a Ducasse fan but he played pretty well late last year. He certainly took a step.

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2 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Whats intersesting to me is Sal C and I believe Joe B discussed Ducasse recently.  Both of them saying Ducasse actually was pretty decent last year.  

 

They both keep hearing from the fans perspective that Ducasse still sucks but believes they are still holding onto his past and preseason last year.  

 

I remember reading Joe B.'s perspective on Ducasse and how perception of his play was not necessarily reality and defended his improvement, which I respect since they actually break down video whereas I just watch the games. 

 

As to your original question, I'd have to agree with you the WR battle is probably number one outside the QB group to watch. So much is unknown about whether Kerley can be the Vet to step into the slot role, will Proehl continue to be a revelation that he was in Mini-Camp and OTAs, will Foster emerge and can Reilly finally nail down his role in the Offense???? All good questions that I look forward to unfolding and hoping those guys truly emerge as the best outside of Benji and Zay. I like Streator's story, but I really want to see the young guns take hold of this team at every position and the aforementioned WRs would do that, except for Kerley - which is good so they can have a Vet presence for the young guys.

 

Offensive Line is the next battle to watch - I'm really hoping Miller and Teller become the starters just because they're original Buffalo guys and I'd like to see them as long-term interior OL guys that help anchor that line for many years. To me, that would also mean the Bills would have 3 of their Drafted guys starting on the line....but only if both demonstrate they're worth the starter title. Groy / Bodine will be an interesting one as Groy showed real promise while Bodine was a 4 year starter for the Bengals - and he didn't grade out well, but that whole line suffered from inconsistency, so I guess we'll see which is it - him or the inconsistency of his former line? 

 

On that note though, adding Bodine and Newhouse were very good signings IMO because while neither was going to set the world on fire, both have years of starter experience and really adds to the depth of a line that needed true depth. Other than the potential QB situation with Josh Allen and even AJ, the two lines - Defensive and Offensive, IMHO saw the greatest upgrade. I'm not detracting from Edmunds as he is a very, very promising LB for the Bills for a long, long time....but as a whole, the two lines saw significant investment in one way or another and you can see how committed the Bills are to making the nuts-and-bolts type of improvements and not just putting a shiny new coat of paint on an old beater. 

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5 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I was not a Ducasse fan but he played pretty well late last year. He certainly took a step.

 

Seems like it.  I've never played the OL position and don't really know how to evaluate it outside of seeing a guy just whiff.  Encouraging to hear he might not be a weak link.

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13 minutes ago, Cripple Creek said:

Backup RB/the RB rotation.

Do they use up a roster spot on DiMarco?

WR...does anyone emerge?

Does Zay get another year?

 

I think they do.  I think DiMarco was on WGR a little while back and I think he said this offense will open up more opportunities for him.  I might be mistaken though.

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I think the WR camp battle is the most interesting (beside QB)...

 

Will KB, now healthy, start playing like a #1?


Will Zay, now healthy, start playing like a high draft pick?

 

Will any of the vet FAs recapture their old magic?

 

- Will Holmes play anything like he did when he chipped in nearly 700 yards for the Raiders in 2014?

 

- Will Streater play anything like he did when he chipped in nearly 900 yards for the Raiders in 2013?

 

- Will Kerley play anything like he did when he chipped in 800 yards for the Jets in 2012?

 

Will Clay show us he can do something more than just run fast?

 

Will Brandon Reilly remind anyone - besides Micah Hyde - of Adam Theilen?

 

Will Proehl play anything like his dad?


Will any of the other youngsters step up?

 

 

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I'm most intrigued by the RT spot.  If someone can acquit themselves well on that side, then there's the potential for the OL to stabilize somewhat.  I think there's a fair chance that Miller can recapture his 2016 form at RG, and they may have some raw material in Wyatt Teller, so interior is actually less of a concern for me.

 

I shudder at the though of what would happen if Dawkins goes down for any period of time--imagine trotting out a bookend pairing of Newhouse on the left and Mills on the right. :sick:

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2 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

I'm most intrigued by the RT spot.  If someone can acquit themselves well on that side, then there's the potential for the OL to stabilize somewhat.  I think there's a fair chance that Miller can recapture his 2016 form at RG, and they may have some raw material in Wyatt Teller, so interior is actually less of a concern for me.

 

I shudder at the though of what would happen if Dawkins goes down for any period of time--imagine trotting out a bookend pairing of Newhouse on the left and Mills on the right. :sick:

 

I keep reading that they do like McDermott.  I read his scouting reports and it seems like the biggest issue scouts were seeing was his strength.  Lacking lower leg strength was something I remember reading about him....the opinion is he could easily get pushed back.  If he could build up his strength in his base, he might be able to compete.

5 minutes ago, Stank_Nasty said:

Interior OL

DE opposite of hughes…. I think Lawson vs. Murphy could heat up that edge!

 

IMO, I don't think Lawson has a chance to unseat Murphy.  They went after Murphy early and gave him a decent contract....makes me think the coaching staff isn't very high on Lawson.  Not that they want to cut him but I think they view him as a rotation guy....30-35% of the snaps.

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OL

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Seems like it.  I've never played the OL position and don't really know how to evaluate it outside of seeing a guy just whiff.  Encouraging to hear he might not be a weak link.

Taking a step or moving is what Mills needs to do.  Now that's a weak link.

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58 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

 

IMO, I don't think Lawson has a chance to unseat Murphy.  They went after Murphy early and gave him a decent contract....makes me think the coaching staff isn't very high on Lawson.  Not that they want to cut him but I think they view him as a rotation guy....30-35% of the snaps.

I don't disagree. I just like the idea of a first round talent coming in motivated and in shape to try and win his job back. that can only be a good thing for everyone I think.

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My favorite thing about preseason is to watch the backup battles, and there are several wide open competitions this year. 

 

I agree WR will be a great battle to watch, and I think they will prove the talent is better than many think. 

 

I think CB is a really important positional battle. Who will win the nickel? Who is next man up on the outside? This position worries me the most if a starter goes down because the drop off in talent looks similar to last year, and it really hurt when Gaines was out. 

 

OL will be interesting to see who starts, but I think the final 53 group is pretty clear. 

 

LB is another area where I’m interested in seeing what the talent looks like after the first 3-4 guys. 

It should be a very entertaining camp to follow!

 

 

Just looked at Joe B’s projected 53 and realize I forgot about Humber at LB, which is easy to do. I’ll stick by my statement...

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1 hour ago, Stank_Nasty said:

Interior OL

DE opposite of hughes…. I think Lawson vs. Murphy could heat up that edge!

 

I think the DL goes closer to Schwartz era in that they rely on rotation between Washington, Star, Kyle, Hughes, Murphy, Shaq, and (situationally) Zo. 

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WR

 

After Benjamin and Jones, nothing is set IMO. Holmes and Kerley are experienced vets, but neither are better than average in any area IMO, and even though this staff values veteran leadership, I think it's more likely that they choose to hold onto one of their new, young WRs instead. Aside from showing out as WRs, I think a lot will depend on how they look on special teams. But I believe the staff would also prefer to keep around as many players as possible that could be Bills for a longer period of time, especially on cheaper contracts, and I don't think Holmes and Kerley fall into that category.

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