2025 OTAs are underway

[Mat68]

13 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Very encouraging news about Cole Bishop!

 

Thats a great thing.  Being confident in the scheme and directing teammates is key.  He has the ability to be very good.  I think Bishop has a Benard type year 2.  Both seemed like Mcdermott guys watching the embedded series.  Having athletes in the secondary will unlock the pass defense again.    

[pennstate10]

13 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

We don't have traditional SS and FS.  Both are interchangeable 

McDermott throwing bombs lol.  Honestly I have seen a difference this offseason in him.   Calling out Coleman,saying he realizes changes needed to be made on how he approaches the defense ( see bigger DT's brought in)  and now this.

That’s not really true. Yes, they have positional flexibility, especially for injury, but when they played single high, Hyde was almost always high and Poyer at LB level. 
 

Bills played Hamlin in the Hyde position but he really isn’t fast enough. Thats why I think Bishop, who may be more suited to the Poyer position, takes over for Hamlin this year. Hamlin is not fast enough for the Hyde position. 

[ShakAttack]

13 minutes ago, pennstate10 said:

That’s not really true. Yes, they have positional flexibility, especially for injury, but when they played single high, Hyde was almost always high and Poyer at LB level. 
 

Bills played Hamlin in the Hyde position but he really isn’t fast enough. Thats why I think Bishop, who may be more suited to the Poyer position, takes over for Hamlin this year. Hamlin is not fast enough for the Hyde position. 

I know I might be in the minority but I hope Forrest gets a fair chance at the job as well. The kid can flat out ball and is an unbelievable athlete. The problem is, there always seems to be a bias against FAs brought in from other teams and a slight favoritism toward our own draft picks.
 

All I am saying is, let the best man win the job. Whether that Hamlin, Bishop or Forrest.  
 

there is a lot more to be excited about with Bishop and Forrest also so I am hoping for a tight competition between those two at the end of the day. 

[MikePJ76]

15 minutes ago, ShakAttack said:

I know I might be in the minority but I hope Forrest gets a fair chance at the job as well. The kid can flat out ball and is an unbelievable athlete. The problem is, there always seems to be a bias against FAs brought in from other teams and a slight favoritism toward our own draft picks.
 

All I am saying is, let the best man win the job. Whether that Hamlin, Bishop or Forrest.  
 

there is a lot more to be excited about with Bishop and Forrest also so I am hoping for a tight competition between those two at the end of the day. 

Which safety spot do you see Forrest playing?  
 

 

[RoscoeParrish]

41 minutes ago, pennstate10 said:

That’s not really true. Yes, they have positional flexibility, especially for injury, but when they played single high, Hyde was almost always high and Poyer at LB level

Certainly true towards the back half of that duo’s tenure here, but I believe in the beginning, Poyer played more center field. Maybe not 50-50.

 

by 2023, with all the injuries, Poyer was basically playing hybrid big nickel.

[Clyde Smith]

50 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

Which safety spot do you see Forrest playing?  
 

 

Free Safety 

[Solomon Grundy]

17 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Very encouraging news about Cole Bishop!

 

🙏🙏🙏

[TFBillsfan]

6 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

I think he may end up as CB #5 Or on the PS tutoring Mad Max etc.

I’d be stunned if Tre White or Dane Jackson accept a PS role. They’d rather be cut IMO. 

[That's No Moon]

30 minutes ago, TFBillsfan said:

I’d be stunned if Tre White or Dane Jackson accept a PS role. They’d rather be cut IMO. 

They'd have to be cut to have that role anyway. Pretty sure they'd both be vested vets so not eligible for waiver claims. They could go where they are wanted, but the problem will be if they are cut it's because they look cooked in the PS and nobody is going to run to sign them. That they can't be waiver claimed makes it easier for the Bills to work it out with one or both of them if they want to protect a younger player and the older guys want to stay in the building. For example if it comes down to Strong or Jackson and their play has been roughly equal, Strong will make the 53.

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 hour ago, TFBillsfan said:

I’d be stunned if Tre White or Dane Jackson accept a PS role. They’d rather be cut IMO. 

Understand.  Then cut one, and right now it might be white unless they want him to mentor his much faster clone 🙂

[Doc]

1 hour ago, TFBillsfan said:

I’d be stunned if Tre White or Dane Jackson accept a PS role. They’d rather be cut IMO. 

 

Not so sure about Tre.  He basically said Buffalo or bust. 

[eball]

4 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Which safety spot do you see Forrest playing?  
 

 

 

Does it really matter?  I mean, we all just want to shout at the TV…”RUN, FORREST, RUN!!!!”

 

[LABILLBACKER]

5 hours ago, ShakAttack said:

I know I might be in the minority but I hope Forrest gets a fair chance at the job as well. The kid can flat out ball and is an unbelievable athlete. The problem is, there always seems to be a bias against FAs brought in from other teams and a slight favoritism toward our own draft picks.
 

All I am saying is, let the best man win the job. Whether that Hamlin, Bishop or Forrest.  
 

there is a lot more to be excited about with Bishop and Forrest also so I am hoping for a tight competition between those two at the end of the day. 

1. Forrest 

2. Bishop

3. Hamlin

[fergie's ire]

2 hours ago, eball said:

 

Does it really matter?  I mean, we all just want to shout at the TV…”RUN, FORREST, RUN!!!!”

 

It's no Wildgoose chase...but I'll take it.

 

[NewEra]

3 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Understand.  Then cut one, and right now it might be white unless they want him to mentor his much faster clone 🙂

I doubt white is cut considering his 2.2m dead cap vs Danes 500k, but we’ve seen Oj Howard cut with a 3M dead cap so 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

[FLFan]

15 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I doubt white is cut considering his 2.2m dead cap vs Danes 500k, but we’ve seen Oj Howard cut with a 3M dead cap so 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

It would not shock me if White ends up being a late cut and is the signed to the practice squad.  There is value in that for the Bills, and the investment is sunk cost anyway.  

[BillsShredder83]

On 5/28/2025 at 7:21 PM, Ethan in Cleveland said:

It's ok to disagree. I think he's better at his position that Oliver, Rousseau, Knox, Benford, and every other player except Milano, White, and Allen were at the time they got their second contracts.  He's an elite player that should get paid as such. 

 

I fully admit I am biased by running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield. Thurman Thomas not Kelly was my favorite player of the 1990's teams.  I loved watching players like Tomlinson, Faulk, and Edgerrin James.  I value them more than WRs.  I know the league, the market, and this board disagrees. 

 

For the record I fully support the extensions Benford, Rousseau, and Shakir got.  All are very good players and all the deals were fair for both sides.  Just hope Beane trims the money spent by getting rid of Epenesa, DQ, Samuel, and moving on or redoing the Milano and Knox contracts by next year.  That should free up enough money to pay Cook either on the franchise tag or with an extension.  

Were there notable stats showing progress with Cook's hands?  I'll be honest, my knee jerk reaction is 'he drops a decent amount of very catchable balls', but I wouldnt be shocked if I didn't notice/forgot over past several months.  I cant specifically recall any brutal drops

 

EDIT: nope.  Im not a hater, and ill 100% give him credit for doing a ton of work rushing the ball, I think he had his best season by far (TD's skyrocketed)

.... but last years receiving stats are bunk!  After seeing this I especially cant justify paying him Saquan/McCaff type money.  Just no way!  In fact this is an incredibly mediocre pass catching season for any starting RB, let alone a premier back.

 

[Simon]

4 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Were there notable stats showing progress with Cook's hands?  I'll be honest, my knee jerk reaction is 'he drops a decent amount of very catchable balls', but I wouldnt be shocked if I didn't notice/forgot over past several months.  I cant specifically recall any brutal drops......

 

 

I don't think he has bad hands but when he does get the dropsies, he's had a propensity to do it around the endzone, which tends to really make it stand out.

He was probably losing concentration when he's trying to locate the goalline, but I don't recall it being an ongoing issue recently.

Probably just another facet he's worked on to improve.

[Richard Noggin]

On 5/27/2025 at 2:35 PM, TBBills Fan said:

Hahaha no!

 

She claimed the field of lay wasn't large enough to inject more physicality. 

 

I then reminded her even the Titanic seems small if you place it in the grand canyon

 

That was the end of that one

 

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

On 5/28/2025 at 7:44 PM, BearNorth said:

Eric Wood will probably disagree.

He can disagree all he wants.  Wood was a solid player over his years.  No disrespect there.  
 

But I don’t think he ever had the top end ability that McGovern showed last year.  And I think McGovern is just a bigger more imposing player.