‘Matakevich, 30, missed all of training camp with a right calf injury suffered while he was working out at the Bills’ facility in the days before the team reported to St. John Fisher.’
BillsBeat - August 16, 2023
Have Josh Allen join you for breakfast: Fourth edition of Josh’s Jaqs on shelves
‘All of Allen’s proceeds from the sale of the cereal will again benefit John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. It has already provided thousands of dollars in donations to the hospital.’
Tim O'Shei: For 50 years, home of the Bills has been heart of the community
‘Living near the stadium meant the Bills were my neighbors, figuratively and literally. I went to preschool with the daughter of running back Curtis Brown. I played Hamburg Little Cagers Basketball against General Manager Bill Polian’s kids, who themselves went on to become successful coaches and front office leaders. As a town recreation worker in college, I tossed a football on the playground with Kyle Smith, whose dad A.J. was then the Bills’ pro personnel director. Kyle is now the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons.’
Bills notes: Dorian Williams' strong debut, practice fights, Brandon Shell retiring
‘Williams will likely remain on the outside as Milano’s backup and then contribute on special teams, but down the road, it’s possible he could develop into the signal caller in the middle of the defense.’
Buffalo Bills’ offensive tackle depth takes significant hit
‘Shell, 31, joined the Bills as a free agent this off-season after stints with the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins. The veteran was expected to compete to be the team’s swing tackle behind Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. Without Shell in the mix, David Quessenberry becomes the frontrunner for the job. Buffalo is likely to carry at least four offensive tackles which means they could keep a young option on their 53-man roster such as Tommy Doyle, Richard Gouraige or Ryan Van Demark. Another option is signing a veteran in free agency or trading for a tackle.’
Bills LB Matakevich activated from active/PUP list; Shell retires; A few reported scuffles at Tuesday’s practice
‘Matakevich was one of three Bills players to begin camp on the PUP list, joining edge rusher Von Miller and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on the sideline throughout much of the team’s time at St. John Fisher University. Phillips (shoulder) was activated early last week, and Matakevich’s activation followed on Tuesday, while Miller remains on the mend as he recovers from a knee injury that ended his 2022 season.’
Khalil Shakir starting to grasp Bills offense ahead of second season
‘“When you’re out on the field, and we’re going fast, they can just say, ‘Hey, stay over there,’” Shakir told the Gazette after practice Tuesday. “You were at X and now you’re at Z. So just making sure that when we are playing fast, I would say the hardest part is just making sure that as we’re going fast we can flip flop spots so we can go as fast as we want to.”’
Training Camp Observations: Bills offense, defense duel in feistiest day of practice thus far
‘Offensive and defensive players were trash-talking back and forth throughout team sessions. At one point, linebacker Tyrel Dodson and offensive tackle Spencer Brown got into their second skirmish of camp, with Brown’s helmet popping off and Dodson tossing it before being calmed by linebackers coach Bobby Babich.’
Bills tackle Brandon Shell not at practice, and team places 7th-year player on reserve-retired list
‘Shell played 18 snaps, including one on special teams, in a 23-19 preseason-opening win against Indianapolis on Saturday. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds, Shell started 11 games for Miami last season after being promoted off the Dolphins’ practice squad. He spent his first four seasons with the New York Jets and spent two years with the Seattle Seahawks.’
Bills OT Brandon Shell retires after seven NFL seasons
‘A fifth-round pick by the New York Jets in 2016 out of South Carolina, Shell has largely played right tackle throughout his career. He played in 83 regular-season games and started 72, playing four seasons with the Jets, two with the Seattle Seahawks and most recently for the Miami Dolphins, appearing in 13 games with 11 starts last season. In his career, he averaged a pass block win rate of 87% and averaged 84.6% with the Dolphins last season.’
Intensity on full display Tuesday at Bills practice
‘There were several instances of players going back-and-forth with each other that eventually spilled over to a fight. This even included star quarterback Josh Allen getting involved in the aftermath.’
Bills place tackle Brandon Shell on Reserve/Retired list
‘Shell was signed by the Bills back on June 1 on a one-year deal. This after spending last season with the Miami Dolphins, starting 11 games.’
Josh Allen launches fourth edition of 'Josh’s Jaqs' cereal
‘The fourth edition of the Josh’s Jaqs features a new collectible box design, and is available locally at Wegmans and Tops Friendly Markets. The box features the iconic red, white, and blue Zubaz stripe color pattern with a football maze on the back.’
Bills Legends provide impressions of new stadium in Orchard Park
‘”It’s great to see the progress the stadium has been in for the last couple of months, but you won’t really see much of it until 2-3 years. It’s coming along great, and guys out there are working as hard as they can to try to get this thing done by 2026,” said Thomas on Monday while at the Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic in Batavia.’
Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Brandon Shell planning to retire
‘Across seven NFL seasons, Shell has played in 83 games, starting 72 of them, with the Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins.’