Two Bills Drive

‘The Bills bid adieu to seven veteran starters. The roster is retooled. How quickly can Sean McDermott and his coaching staff get all the new pieces to fit seamlessly together and start producing at a high level? The Bills have enough speed on offense to suggest they can compensate for the loss of Stefon Diggs by spreading the ball around even more than they did last season. A lot is riding on new wideouts Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel. The defense is solid. But the Bills will need step-up performances from Von Miller, Greg Rousseau and the new safety tandem if they want to win the AFC East again.’

‘The cause impacts Sean and Jamie McDermott’s family on a daily basis. Their two oldest children, daughter Maddie and son Gavin, were diagnosed with food allergies at a young age.’

‘CB Stephon Gilmore: A former first-round draft pick of the Bills in 2012, Gilmore has entered the journeyman portion of his career, playing for four teams over the past four seasons. Although he’ll turn 34 in September, Gilmore, like Campbell, played at a high level last season. For the Cowboys, he started all 17 games, making 13 passes defensed and two interceptions. He also set a career high with 68 tackles. It’s possible Gilmore is holding out for a starting job somewhere, but if the Bills wanted to add veteran depth behind projected starters Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas, Gilmore would be more than just a reunion storyline.’

‘I see Bishop following the same path as O’Cyrus Torrence did last year. When the Bills drafted Torrence, they had a capable veteran, Ryan Bates, penciled in to start at right guard. Instead, they went to training camp, and Torrence won the job outright. The coaching staff didn’t stand in the way of a rookie earning playing time. With Bishop, a similar situation is shaping up. The Bills could start veterans Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards at safety, but if Bishop goes to training camp and proves he’s the better option, there is no reason to hold him back. I say he starts in Week 1.’

‘“Probably one of the most consensus players on our board,” Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said. “Everybody saw the same thing. You love the leadership and intelligence. He had a lot of the DNA we look for in all of our players, but especially (safety). That’s part of the excitement to get a player like him.”’

‘There are quite a few. Shakir is a good one, as is Curtis Samuel. The likelihood of both of them being in the top three receivers certainly went up. Not taking a boundary cornerback is good news for both Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford. Not taking a center until the fifth round is good news for Connor McGovern, whose hold on the starting job got stronger. Not taking a quarterback is good news for Shane Buechele, who should be the No. 3 at the position, either on the practice squad or active roster. Heck, not taking a kicker is good news for Tyler Bass.’