We’re about a month away from Preseason Week 1 versus the New York Giants
As a lifelong fan of the Buffalo Bills, I have officially reached the part of summer that’s left me longing for preseason football. It’s an annual feeling that sneaks up on me right after the 4th of July.
To provide some context, the Bills are the only team in sports that I follow on a day-to-day basis. I realize some readers are die-hard baseball fans, but I stopped following the game about 10 years ago. The NBA Finals recently wrapped up, as did the NHL [Stanley...
Will it be a regular-season reunion... or are we looking at a practice-squad invitation?
The goal of any general manager is to raise the floor of the back end of the team’s roster. For the Buffalo Bills and general manager Brandon Beane, that often means signing back-end-of-the-roster types in free agency even before the NFL Draft occurs. That way, even if the team can’t quite address its needs the way it wants in the draft, there is a contingency plan in place.
The thing about contingency plans, though, is that they evolve over time. Just because a player signs in...
Plus, RB James Cook cracks the NFL’s Top 100 players of 2025 list.
There’s one week remaining until the Buffalo Bills’ rookies report to training camp at St. John Fisher University, and two weeks until the veterans report, with practice beginning on July 23. From the presence of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” crew filming every moment to certain positional battles, there will be ample story lines to watch from Bills camp.
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off with thoughts and some bold predictions for when the Bills gather at Fisher as the team continues to prepare for the 2025 NFL...
Buffalo Bills fans have grown accustomed to games of hats and shirts.
The Buffalo Bills, under the direction of head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, have been good for a very long time. In fact, since McDermott’s first season as an NFL head coach in 2017 — leading the Bills to their first playoff birth in 17 seasons — Buffalo has made the playoffs every season other than 2018.
At the head of that success is the Bills’ five consecutive AFC East Division titles, dating back to the 2020 NFL season. Buffalo is the class of the...
Cook is the first Bills player named to this season’s list
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been named one of the top 100 players in the NFL for 2025, a testament to the campaign he put together in 2024. As the lead back in a potent three-headed attack, Cook made the most of every opportunity in 2024.
Cook finished the regular season with 1,009 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on 207 carries, adding 32 receptions (38 targets) for 238 yards and two receiving touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. For his efforts as co-leader in rushing touchdowns for...
Can this Senior Bowl invitee break into a solid offensive line grouping?
The Buffalo Bills tend to stockpile their offensive line with athletic prospects, not necessarily players who played at prestigious NCAA powerhouse programs. For general manager Brandon Beane, the traits take precedence over the pedigree, as he values athleticism and versatility while trusting his coaching staff to better players’ technique.
That strategy has worked well for Buffalo, as the team has built a stable of solid offensive linemen. Whether we’re talking about tackles, guards, centers, or players who can slot in anywhere, Buffalo has players who can contribute at...
Closer than anyone would have liked
The Buffalo Bills’ 2024 season has been written. So let’s add some “illustrations!” If you’re new to Plays That Defined, this isn’t a highlight recap, but rather a cathartic retelling of the past season, chapter by chapter.
Don’t vote for your favorite play necessarily, vote for the one that best represents that game’s narrative. I’ll recap the game to refresh your memory, but don’t feel locked in by my narrative.
The Buffalo Bills sat at 11-3 and were hosting the lowly 3-11 [New England...
Plus, sizing up the competition to win the backup QB job behind Josh Allen.
Since the Buffalo Bills began routinely winning AFC East championships and established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL, competition to earn a spot on the 53-man roster has been intense each summer. This year figures to be no different as general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott try to whittle their roster down before the season starts.
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by examining a list of potential veterans who could find themselves fighting for a roster spot...
After a down year, could the Bills release their veteran one-tech?
For as long as head coach Sean McDermott has been with the Buffalo Bills, the most important position on the entire defense has arguably been the nose tackle, or one-tech defensive lineman. That’s the person who occupies multiple gaps, keeping the linebackers clean and his fellow defensive linemen in one-gap situations.
Have the Bills always had a great player at that spot? No, they have not. Just look at the Star Lotulelei years for evidence of that. However, the team struck gold when they signed a veteran to replace...
Buffalo’s third-string quarterback entering the 2024 season has some competition this summer
The Buffalo Bills have a tight-knit quarterback room, as all four players in the positional group seem to enjoy each others’ company. It also helps that the team has the reigning MVP at the helm, as he’s one of the best overall players in the NFL.
Will the team make any changes at quarterback? Traditionally, head coach Sean McDermott has gone with two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Given that there are currently four men in camp at the position, something has to give.
In today’s installment of...
Nearly unstoppable offenses
The Buffalo Bills’ 2024 season has been written. So let’s add some “illustrations!” If you’re new to Plays That Defined, this isn’t a highlight recap, but rather a cathartic retelling of the past season, chapter by chapter.
Don’t vote for your favorite play necessarily, vote for the one that best represents that game’s narrative. I’ll recap the game to refresh your memory, but don’t feel locked in by my narrative.
After losing a shootout to the Los Angeles Rams, the Bills found themselves on the right side of...
If there’s a dark horse candidate for a breakout on defense, my money’s on Solomon being that guy
The Buffalo Bills have worked tirelessly to build depth on the defensive line. That depth hasn’t always translated into the perfect mix of pass-rush ability and success that the team envisions, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. General manager Brandon Beane has spent countless resources on defensive linemen in search of a group that can wreck a game four men at a time.
Sometimes, those resources involve big-ticket free-agent signings. Other times, Beane has spent high-end draft assets to acquire...