Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 WR CB Interior OL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommonCents Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Good thread. I’m most interested in the wide receivers. The Bills need one of the young kids to shock the depth chart and get up there and take WR2. Otherwise it’s going to be a mish mosh of “mediocrity” opposite of Benji. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBuff423 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Backup RB/the RB rotation. Do they use up a roster spot on DiMarco? WR...does anyone emerge? Does Zay get another year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stank_Nasty Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Interior OL DE opposite of hughes…. I think Lawson vs. Murphy could heat up that edge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 2 minutes ago, Formerly Allan in MD said: OL Taking a step or moving is what Mills needs to do. Now that's a weak link. I can't believe we haven't been able to upgrade RT for 2 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stank_Nasty Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Im looking at the TE's O'leary has gotten better every year Towbridge (sp?) seems to be a big TE who pass catches well Clay makes a lot of money......the knee is an issue every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mango Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunken Pygmy Goat Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 WR, the front 7, O line overall. I'm also keeping an eye on RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 3 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said: 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. The WR. We have some vets who are borderline-capable but not outstanding, Streater and Holmes amoung them. We have some young guns who want it bad. It will be verrry interesting to see how they shape up in camp. And yeah, the OL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreggTX Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 (edited) Trent vs Shaq Harry vs Kyle I'm also keeping an eye on that #2 TE spot. and FB. Our backup TE's played poorly as did our FB. They need to help out more on wide running plays for Shady to be able to turn the corner. None of our OL are any good except maybe Dawkins will come around in year 2. I could easily imagine some late cut stepping in to start on the OL early in the season to help shore up our weakest overall position group -- WR's are our 2nd weakest group. Edited June 21, 2018 by GreggTX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42Knuck Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I'll be watching the WR competition as well, but I expect a big jump this year in production no matter who makes the team just because of the change at QB, I think the WR's will have a better chance of making plays. It was a tough couple years for those guys, TT was a great guy, but not very effective at hooking up with WR's. I'm more interested in both lines. They brought a lot guys in, I think there's going to be some fierce competition in the trenches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunken Pygmy Goat Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 (edited) 11 minutes ago, GreggTX said: Trent vs Shaq Harry vs Kyle I'm also keeping an eye on that #2 TE spot. and FB. Our backup TE's played poorly as did our FB. They need to help out more on wide running plays for Shady to be able to turn the corner. Trent vs Shaw will be interesting. I don't think there's much of a "competition" so to speak with Kyle and Harrison, but I think Kyle's PT will decrease towards the end of the season, with Harrison manning his position. If the Bills are in the playoff mix, this would give Kyle and his old legs some rest, and give the Bills a better rotation. And if the Bills are out of it, it would give Harrison some more valuable time on the field. Kyle may have lost a step, but he's still pretty good, and is still pretty quick off of the snap. This staff won't do him dirty and give Phillips more PT than Kyle (barring major regression from Kyle), especially since it may be his last season. But Kyle is a true pro and wants what's best for the team, and I'm sure he understands his role. Phillips is basically Kyle's "little" Padawan, and is potentially the future at the position. I'm more interested in seeing Phillips compete with Washington. Also, I think you're selling O'Leary short. He's gotten better each year, and has reliable hands. And he just looks the part of a "classic" TE, even if he's a bit shorter than your typical TE. Edited June 21, 2018 by Drunken Pygmy Goat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevWarRifleman Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Wide Receiver battle. Which one(s) can establish themselve(s) as a long ball threat. We need somebody that can stretch the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColoradoBills Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 The entire OL with the exception of LT. The WR battles will be fun but they won't make any difference if the Bill's don't field a credible OL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Want to see Reilly and Foster beat out out Holmes and Dupree. Murphy v. Shaq should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills Fan of St Augustine Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 OL, It is too important to the young QBs success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 5 hours ago, John from Riverside said: Clay makes a lot of money......the knee is an issue every year I read somewhere recently that Clay is another guy who has dedicated himself to a change in diet and regimen, claiming he feels better than ever and hopeful the injury concerns are behind him. Will be great if true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBonhamRocks Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 The Center battle with Groydine should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColoradoBills Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 1 hour ago, eball said: I read somewhere recently that Clay is another guy who has dedicated himself to a change in diet and regimen, claiming he feels better than ever and hopeful the injury concerns are behind him. Will be great if true. Yolo started a thread about Clay and his diet a while back. Here was the article. http://buffalonews.com/2018/05/28/charles-clay-hoping-changes-to-diet-will-keep-him-stay-on-field-more-for-bills/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimeAFLGuy Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 ...receiving corp (WR & TE) as well as OL...a viable. threatening passing game, especially DOWNFIELD, was in the "lost and NOT YET found" department......shape up the OL to pass protect and let McDaboll do his thing.....WR's had a better shot of catching t-shirts from the stands versus seeing the pigskin........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 8 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said: 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. Is a hotdog a sandwich!!! Oline them WR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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