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[Buffalo Bills]

Buffalo Bills DT Larry Ogunjobi suspended to begin 2025 NFL season

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Ogunjobi informed GM Brandon Beane before inking his one-year contract.

The Buffalo Bills and free-agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi agreed to a one-year contract early in the process, but the return on investment will take a while to reveal itself. Speaking to local media ahead of Ogunjobi’s contract signing and first press conference, general manager Brandon Beane informed all that Buffalo’s newest DT is facing a six-game suspension to start his tenure with the Bills — due to a failed test for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

The news hit hard amid what was believed by many to be a fairly routine discussion about the team’s latest additions and how Beane intends to proceed forward under cap restrictions. Beane revealed that Buffalo’s front office was unaware of the situation, with Ogunjobi informing them during initial conversations.

Now, instead of being able to fully enjoy his first day at One Bills Drive, Ogunjobi had to face a barrage of questions about what he described as a situation involving “a tainted supplement.” To his credit, Ogunjobi has chosen to face the pending six-game suspension without appealing, owning up to his responsibility to better understand and monitor what supplements he uses.

Ogunjobi did reveal that the appeal process can be very involved, so it’s worth wondering if he didn’t want to risk side-tracking the work ahead of him in Buffalo any further. With Ogunjobi missing the first six games of the 2025 NFL season, he will be placed on in-season Injured Reserve, won’t count against the final 53-man roster during that time, and must remain out of all team facilities for the first four weeks. He can return to practice with the team for the final two weeks of the suspension, and will be eligible to play in games beginning Week 7.

Ogunjobi will be allowed to train with the team and attend all offseason sessions, and can participate in training camp as well each preseason game.

This is bad news for a Bills team that signed a player with a chance to compete for significant snaps at 3-tech along a defensive line that rotates heavily throughout games. Now, the team has to consider whether they can weather the storm of Ogunjobi’s suspension, or if they need to and are able to find an impactful replacement 3-tech for the first six weeks.

Further complicating matters is that another of the Bills’ free-agent signings, defensive lineman Michael Hoecht, has also been handed a six-game suspension for PEDs to begin his career in Buffalo.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...t-6-games-of-2025-nfl-season-free-agency-news

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this former Bills free agent signing in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Saturday, March 15, 2025
Friday, March 14, 2025
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
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Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

See Buffalo Rumblings in-5 game instructions below the game.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/16/24386954/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Buffalo Bills sign 2 free agents with pending suspensions

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Do the Bills have a Plan B in March?

The Buffalo Bills will have to pivot to plan B before plan A has even been thoroughly fleshed out. In speaking with local media on Friday, March 14, general manager Brandon Beane revealed that a pair of free-agent defensive lineman will miss the first six games of the 2025 NFL regular season.

Beane was asked what defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi bring to the table, at which point he revealed that both have a pending performance enhancing drug (PED) suspension. That means the Bills will play the first third-plus of their season without two key free-agent additions — before they even break a sweat in offseason workouts.

Buffalo’s front office knew about Hoecht’s pending suspension, but felt comfortable signing him regardless. Beane mentioned that Hoecht was a player they were interested in last offseason when he was a restricted free agent.

Regarding Ogunjobi, Beane mentioned that the free-agent DT was forthright with them in meetings, having just discovered days earlier that one test result came back with the unfortunate news. There is still one additional test Ogunjobi is waiting on results for, but his suspension is set to be for six games the same as Hoecht. Ogunjobi revealed that he will not appeal the suspension.

Beane discussed the unfortunate situation, noting that they would not have signed two guys with pending PED suspensions. As a result of this news, both players will be placed on Injured Reserve at final roster cuts ahead of Week 1, with them making their debuts in Week 7 at the earliest — again, unless there are forthcoming appeals that prove successful for either player.

Hoecht and Ogunjobi will be allowed to train with the team and attend all offseason sessions, and can participate in training camp as well each preseason game.

Importantly, these suspensions, and the 12 total games between two players (if those lengths hold) will not allow the Bills to recoup any money towards the 2025 salary cap. Now, with little money left to work with per the salary cap restrictions, it’s uncertain how, if at all, Beane and Buffalo’s front office will navigate a situation with severe roster impacts.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...s-sign-2-free-agents-with-pending-suspensions

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this Bills fullback in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Sunday, March 16, 2025
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Friday, March 14, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

See Buffalo Rumblings in-5 game instructions below the game.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/17/24387643/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Top early round players at positions of need for the Buffalo Bills

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With free agency settling down, who are some Round 1 through Round 3 names for the Bills?

Just like that, free agency is roaring down the other side of the hill. After the legal tampering period opened for the NFL on March 10 at noon, the rush for teams to fill roster needs in a quest to meaningfully improve their chances for success in 2025 began.

By the time the Saturday immediately after that Monday comes around, most of the top free agents have committed and put pen to paper elsewhere. While the rest of the NFL watchers wait for the final quarterback seats to be filled in this year’s edition of “musical signal-caller chairs,” Bills fans can begin turning their attention to next month’s NFL Draft.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has been very active in free agency for Buffalo. Not just re-signing previous draft picks Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Gregory Rousseau, and Josh Allen to extensions prior to their contracts running out, but also signing 12 unrestricted free agents who could choose to sign with any team in the league.

However, a list of needs for the Bills would not be blank — even for the most optimistic of fans. So let’s take a look at some potential early round targets for the team at positions of need:

***note: neither needs nor player lists are ranked, nor are they exhaustive***

2025 NFL Draft cornerbacks for Buffalo Bills to consider​

• Trey Amos, CB (Ole Miss)
• Azareye’h Thomas, CB (Florida State)
• Darian Porter, CB (Iowa State)
• Cobee Bryant, CB (Kansas)
• Zy Alexander, CB (LSU)

Amos is the apple of many fans’ eye at 30 overall, and Buffalo’s recent addition of previous CB2 Dane Jackson isn’t likely to move them off that stance. Amos has the requisite length, size, and agility to play press if the Bills decide to move in that direction — though some have noted some hip stiffness out of alignment with corners his height.

If the team decides to fully lean into more press principles in 2025, Thomas fits the bill (pun intended) with aggression and excellent technique in the early parts of a route. But he may struggle more when disconnected with the receiver in off-man or at the route break.

One of multiple cornerbacks who went to college in the state of Iowa expected to be taken in the draft, Darian Porter has the most impressive traits of any corner on this list (with a Relative Athletic Score ‘RAS’ of 9.99 out of 10, and is former track star) and the success of Riq Woolen with the Seattle Seahawks may find Porter drafted much higher than Woolen was in the fourth round, but he’s still very new to the cornerback position (he began playing the position in 2022) and needs technique work. He’s also an older prospect.

It feels like every few years there’s a cornerback prospect named Cobee Bryant (the last was Coby Bryant, drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 out of Cincinnati). This Bryant is debated among the draft community as a slot player, though some teams will see him on the outside.

His thinner frame and 31 1/4” arms contribute to that, and the conversation around him mimics that of Amik Robertson from Louisiana Tech in 2020. Bryant unquestionably has that same level of “dog” in him, and will smother and fight every step of the route. He has experience playing both man and zone, and has ball skills to make plays when facing the quarterback.

Zy Alexander might have the best coverage technique of anyone on this list, with the requisite stickiness that teams look for on tape. His athleticism being below average (specifically in change of direction and explosion) and 31” arms will cause some teams to drop him down their boards, wondering if his success will translate to more consistently elite athletes in the NFL, but his ability to put teach tape on all the way through the route and at the catch point will make some team use a day two pick on him.

2025 NFL Draft Edge Rushers for Bills to consider​

• Nic Scourton
• Donovan Ezeiruaku
• Princely Umanmielen
• Landon Jackson
• Kyle Kennard

Scourton may most cleanly check the boxes of any edge rusher on this list, with a high floor created by his motor and mature array of pass-rush maneuvers. His dramatic weight loss for the NFL Scouting Combine (he weighed in at 257 pounds, down almost 30 pounds from his listed weight of 285) will give some teams pause at how he plays in his new body, but even in a heavier frame, both Texas A&M and Purdue (from which his transferred after 2023) saw him play as a stand up linebacker and even in coverage. Scourton’s lack of bend is the biggest question mark in his profile, but it further cements a George Karlaftis-like profile for Scourton.

Donovan Ezeiruaku may get more looks from a 3-4 team than he will from an even front unit, but the lines are so blurry in today’s NFL that teams like the Bills, who until recently didn’t target players of this body type, may decide to make him part of their team. Ezeiruaku is agile and bendy (quickest three-cone among defensive linemen at the combine), but his 240-pound frame and 6’2” height don’t help him when a larger offensive lineman gets into his frame — so disengagement will prove to be a work in progress for him. Playing him at seven- or nine-tech is important to his success to allow high fluidity to shine in space against a tackle.

Princely Umanmielen is a player an NFL team takes with the hopes that his play strength and ability in run defense will grow with time in a strength and conditioning program, while acknowledging that traits like his don’t grow on trees. Being 6’4” and only 244 pounds leaves his frame on the thinner side and makes it harder for him to both generate power in his pass rush and hold up against offensive linemen in the run game, but he comes equipped with great length, excellent bend for his height, and good hand usage when squared up or in a half-man scenario with a tackle on the edge. The traits (8.54 RAS, 33.875” arm length) and production (10.5 sacks in 2024) are too good to last too long in the NFL Draft.

Landon Jackson opened some eyes, including mine, at the combine with fluid field work. A team that draft him on Day 2 will likely look at Jackson as a projection player, with him still growing into his body (he added more than 40 pounds to his frame during his time at Arkansas after transferring from LSU). His lack of bend on tape is part of why many were pleasantly surprised with his work in Indianapolis in front of scouts, but with a 9.88 RAS, 33 1/4” arms, experience taking reps in multiple alignments, and some excellent reps against Alabama in 2023, teams will likely look at him at a player than could be better in the pros than he was in college.

Kyle Kennard is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year/Nagurski Trophy winner/Lombardi Award finalist who transferred to South Carolina after three years at Georgia Tech. He checks all the boxes for physical traits, with 34” arms and a 1.83 10-yard split while standing at 6’4” and weighing 254 pounds. His frame may give teams hope that he could carry 260-265 pounds for added strength while maintaining lateral agility, which will be a focus of his development along with hand usage due to a lack of play strength when attempting to disengage and fight off aggressive and strong offensive linemen. The fact that he played opposite freshman phenom Dylan Stewart during his most decorated year cannot go unstated and may factor into teams’ evaluation of him.

While the cornerbacks and edge rushers might be captured here, we’ll touch on the defensive tackles and wide receivers next week. As we transition into the next phase of the offseason, familiarizing ourselves with the names at positions of need for the Bills will help provide a jumping-off point for our draft opinions.

---

...and that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan with Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Rumblings Cast Network — see more in my LinkTree!

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...ft-at-positions-of-need-for-the-buffalo-bills

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Matt Milano takes pay cut as contract reworked by the Buffalo Bills

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Bills may have been looking to release Matt Milano this offseason

The Buffalo Bills may have been looking to cut Matt Milano this offseason, it would appear. On Tuesday, it was reported that Milano agreed to a pay cut and that his contract would end after the 2025 season in a major renegotiation of his deal.

Milano was set to make nearly $14.5 million in cash in 2025 but that has been lowered by more than $3 million according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Milano can earn the cut money back via unreported incentives. Presumably his 2025 salary was also fully guaranteed in the transaction as is customary.

Releasing Milano would not have saved the Bills any 2025 cap space, though they could have used the post-June 1 designation to push off having their cap hit for him increase in this season.

More to come...

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...cut-as-contract-reworked-by-the-buffalo-bills

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this Bills quarterback in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Monday, March 17, 2025
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Saturday, March 15, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

See Buffalo Rumblings in-5 game instructions below the game.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/18/24388449/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Terrel Bernard contract details: Top-10 linebacker money for the Bills captain

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Terrel Bernard signed a new deal, and the numbers show he’s going to be here for at least three more years.

The Buffalo Bills extended linebacker Terrel Bernard as he was entering the final year of his rookie deal, presumably to get ahead of a big year that could up his value. He turns 26 this offseason and with recent developments with Matt Milano, the Bills are ensuring long-term stability at the linebacker position.

The new contract four years and $42.143 million on top of the $3.263 million he was supposed to make in 2025. The four-year new money average is $10.54 million while the five-year total contract is $9 million per season.

When you look at how the guaranteed money is structured, you could call it a three-year, $25.4 million contract with a team option for 2028 of $9.45 million and 2029 at $10.58 million.

How does Bernard’s deal compare to other linebacker contracts?​

The NFL hasn’t come to good terms with position groups at the pass rusher/linerbacker positions, listing some pass rushers at linebacker and some at defensive end, so this is a little fuzzy. Still, Bernard is a top-10 linebacker in the league according to annual average salary.

There is a considerable gap between Bernard’s $10.54 new-money average and Nick Bolton at $15 million and Zack Baun at $17 million. Old friend Tremaine Edmunds makes $18 million per season and Roquan Smith leads the NFL at $20 million per season with Fred Warner between the to at $19 million. Jamien Sherwood ($15 million) and Patrick Queen ($13.67 million) are both ahead of Bernard, too. Bernard is just ahead of Dre Greenlaw at $10.5 million per season.

Matt Milano’s 2023 extension was for $14.2 million per season but now he will make just $6.3 million in 2025 after his recent pay cut.

How much guaranteed money did Terrel Bernard receive from the Bills?​

Only $14.1 million of Bernard’s contract was fully guaranteed, which doesn’t even include his full 2026 compensation.

The full guarantee includes his 2025 compensation ($7.1 million), a 2026 option bonus ($6.75 million), and $250,000 workout bonus.

Another $1.9 million in 2026 compensation is injury guaranteed along with $7.84 million in 2027. In 2028, $1.348 million of his salary is injury guaranteed.

The Bills used a rolling guarantee for Bernard instead, where future money guarantees at a date after signing but far in advance of the actual time it needs to be paid. Almost $2 million of his 2026 salary guarantees after the Super Bowl in February 2026. In March 2026, the vast majority of his 2027 salary fully guarantees to the tune of $6.3 million. The remainder of his 2027 salary guarantees in March 2027.

Adding together the full guarantee, injury guarantee, and rolling guarantee, you get to the reported $23.85 million in ‘guaranteed’ money in the deal. All of that is accounted for in the first three years of the deal from 2025 to 2027.

How are the Bills managing the cap with the Terrel Bernard extension?​

Instead of giving Bernard a huge signing bonus in 2025, the Bills essentially split it over two seasons with the 2026 guaranteed roster bonus. Bernard will make $14 million in the next twelve months, but the 2025 $6 million signing bonus will be split over five seasons of cap management as with the 2026 $6.4 million option bonus.

The Bills added a void year in 2030 to facilitate that option bonus being prorated over the maximum five years.

Bernard’s cap hit in 2025 is $2.5 million and in 2026 it’s $5.5 million before jumping to $11.1 million in 2027. I don’t think that’s a coincidence given the recent Matt Milano news. Milano will have a nearly $10 million dead cap hit in 2026, so keeping Bernard low there will be helpful. Then when Milano’s dead cap comes off the books in 2027, Bernard’s cap hit can jump up.

What incentives are built into Terrel Bernard’s contract?​

Like most Brandon Beane contracts, there are both per-game active bonuses and workout bonuses available to Bernard. In this case, they aren’t included in 2025 (the final year of Bernard’s rookie deal) but kick in when the extension does in 2026.

Bernard can earn $250,000 per offseason in a workout bonus after 2025 for a total of $1 million between 2026 to 2029.

The per-game roster bonus is $30,000 up to $510,000 in each season after 2025. That’s another $2.04 million available to Bernard is he plays in every game from 2026 to 2029.

Bernard also has escalators in the deal if he earns first-team All-Pro nods. They are cumulative, so for every first-team All-Pro he earns, $500,000 will be added on to the base salary for each year for the rest of the contract. (It’s maxed at $1 million in 2027 and 2028 and $1.5 million in 2029 if he just can’t stop earning All-Pros.)

Full salary cap and contract numbers for the Terrel Bernard extension with the Buffalo Bills​

2025
Rookie signing bonus proration: $228,248
Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Base salary: $1.1 million (fully guaranteed)

Cap hit: $2,528,248

Yearly cash: $7.1 million

2026
Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Option bonus proration: $1.35 million
Workout bonus: $250,000
Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $2.162 million (fully guarantees after Super Bowl 2026)

Cap hit: $5.472 million

Yearly cash: $9.672 million

2027
Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Option bonus proration: $1.35 million
Workout bonus: $250,000
Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $7.84 million ($6.3M guarantees in March 2026, $1.54M in March 2027)

Cap hit: $11.15 million

Yearly cash: $8.6 million

2028
Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Option bonus proration: $1.35 million
Workout bonus: $250,000
Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $8.69 million

Cap hit: $12 million
Dead cap: $6.45 million
Cap savings if cut: $5.55 million

Yearly cash: $9.45 million

2029
Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Option bonus proration: $1.35 million
Roster bonus: $1 million (March 2029)
Workout bonus: $250,000
Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $8.824 million

Cap hit: $13.134 million
Dead cap: $3.9 million
Cap savings if cut: $9.234 million

Yearly cash: $10.584 million

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...backer-money-for-the-bills-captain-salary-cap

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Bills pushed a ton of cap space in Joey Bosa’s contract

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

How the Bills used void years to reduce Bosa’s 2025 cap hit

The Buffalo Bills made a significant addition to their defensive line last week by signing five-time Pro Bowl EDGE Joey Bosa to the team. The deal is a one-year, $12.61 million deal, with the potential to reach $15.61 million through playtime and bonus incentives.

At 29 years old, Bosa brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record as a pass rusher. Throughout his nine-year NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, he has 72 sacks - doing so with only 3 complete seasons - as injuries have played an important role during the course of his career. His addresses a need for the Bills, who struggled with their pass rush last season, ranking 18th (tied) in the NFL with 39 sacks.

How is Joey Bosa’s deal structured to manipulate the cap?​

Bosa’s contract is structured as a one-year, $12.61 million agreement, with $12 million fully guaranteed at signing. The deal includes performance-based incentives that could increase the total value to $15.61 million.

In order to minimize the immediate cap hit, the Bills structured the contract with four void years. This allows Bosa’s $9 million signing bonus to be prorated over five years, at $1.8 m per year and reduces the 2025 cap hit to just $5.32 million. However, if Bosa is not extended beyond this season, the void years will accelerate into a $7.2 million dead cap hit in 2026.

It does sort of imply that everyone is open to continuing the partnership beyond 2025.

What incentives are in the Joey Bosa contract?​

Bosa’s contract features $3 million in incentives that are not likely to be earned (NTLBE), which could elevate his total earnings to $15.6 million for the 2025 season. The $3 million is not counted against the cap until next season if he reaches any of the bonus escalators.

Bosa had five sacks in 2024, so the sack incentive likely start at six sacks alongside playing time and goes up from there.

Joey Bosa yearly cap hits​

2025
Signing bonus prorated amount: $1,800,000
Workout bonus: $100,000
Per-game active bonus: $30,000 per game up to $510,000 ($420,000 LTBE)
Base Salary: $3,000,000 (fully guaranteed)

Cap hit: $5.32 million

Yearly cash: $12.61 million

2026
Signing bonus prorated amount: $1,800,000

Dead cap hit if not re-signed: $7.2 million
Includes all future years of dead cap if he’s not re-signed

2027
Signing bonus prorated amount: $1,800,000

Dead cap hit if not re-signed: $5.4 million
Accelerates to the first year he’s off the roster

2028
Signing bonus prorated amount: $1,800,000

Dead cap hit if not re-signed: $3.6 million
Accelerates to the first year he’s off the roster

2029
Signing bonus prorated amount: $1,800,000

Dead cap hit if not re-signed: $1.8 million
Accelerates to the first year he’s off the roster

If the Bills decide to move on after one season, there would be no additional financial obligations beyond the $7.2 million dead cap hit from the void years, making this a low-risk, high-reward signing for the future.

Joey Bosa’s career stats​

Bosa was the third overall pick for the Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft. Last season with the Chargers, he played 14 games, the most games in a season for him since 2021, recording 22 tackles and five sacks.

The Bills are optimistic that Bosa’s presence will bolster their defensive front, providing the pass-rush the Bills need to elevate the team’s defense in the upcoming season. When healthy, he has remained an effective pass rusher.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/19/24389808/joey-bosas-buffalo-bills-contract-details

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this Bills linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Monday, March 17, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/20/24390075/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Todd McShay tackles need for Buffalo Bills in latest mock draft

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

McShay’s latest has Bills GM Brandon Beane select an enticing player at 30.

Mock Draft season is picking up real steam, with the 2025 NFL Draft just over a month away. The Buffalo Bills have seemingly made most of their move in free agency, not only in hopes of improving the roster but also with intentions on better-positioning themselves during April’s draft.

To say the Bills are set, roster-wise, would be unwise. Beane has done his work to complement a roster dotted by key starters at most positions, but there are a handful of question marks at this point in March.

Is Buffalo truly set at wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive tackle? Some may find such queries about the team odd given recent investments at each position. But it’s false to say that each room would find no benefit from adding better talent — or at least meaningful competition.

Renowned draft analyst Todd McShay understands Beane’s assignment this offseason, and he’s chosen to attack his latest mock draft by sending the Bills much-needed reinforcements on defense. McShay sees Buffalo’s defensive linemen in a state of transition, which is perhaps a polite way of saying that there’s a void to fill.

That’s likely true even with Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones set to reprise their starting roles in 2025. Anyone who watched the Bills in 2024 knows all too well how often the entire defensive line struggled to contain opponents’ rushing attacks.

After signing a pair of free-agent defensive linemen who will both miss the first six games of the regular season thanks to failed tests for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), there may be no bigger concern to start the year than within the Bills’ defensive trenches. Buffalo likely hoped for Larry Ogunjobi to moonlight at 1-tech on passing downs as a sub-package pass-rushing defensive tackle. Now, that plan is on the shelf for at least six games.

Could Beane find a rookie in Round 1 to play the same role? Todd McShay believes that’s the path to take:

30. Buffalo Bills: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

The Bills are experiencing a transition period along their interior defensive line with a couple veterans (Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson) on their way out. They signed Larry Ogunjobi but he’s facing a six-game suspension. Grant is still developing as a player but his raw traits are undeniable. He’s a quick and powerful 6-foot-4, 331-pound interior defensive lineman who wreaks havoc against the run and has untapped potential as a pass rusher (three sacks and 27 pressures last season). Pairing him up alongside Ed Oliver could change the dynamic of this Bills defense in a good way.

Bills Mafia may shudder at the idea of Beane drafting yet another “still-developing” player, but Kenneth Grant deserves plenty of attention — and he’ll demand it as a rookie. He’s a massive player who should immediately improve Buffalo’s chances defending the run. McShay points out that it’s his pass rushing that needs development. Drafting Grant should allow the Bills to transition Jones into a reserve role, which would undoubtedly help the 33-year-old remain healthier late into the season.

Beane has spent a lot of assets trying to find pass-rushing defensive tackles: from Oliver to DeWayne Carter(2024 NFL Draft), and by the team’s most recent signings in Michael Hoecht (x-factor as a diverse DL/hybrid) and Ogunjobi. Oliver was great in 2023, and good in 2024. We have no idea what will become of Carter after a promising start and disappointing finish to his rookie season. Hoecht is a wild card, and someone who is more likely to spend time at defensive end than inside the line — he’s also going to miss six games for that failed PED test, along with Ogunjobi.

So this may feel like a “need” pick more than a “best player available pick,” but Beane really think hard about their top pick being used to select the best player available at the position with the biggest perceived need. The question to ask is if they have a bigger need elsewhere.

What about cornerback, where Christian Benford (CB1) has not been given a contract extension yet — and where the prospects of recently re-signed free-agent cornerback Dane Jackson or even Ja’Marcus Ingram are in line to play starting CB2? Or, perhaps safety. You’ll find no shortage of fans who view it as an unsettled room even with Taylor Rapps, Damar Hamlin, and Cole Bishop returning in 2025 — and the team signing Darrick Forrest in free agency.

Before the Bills’ pick at 30, a total of seven defensive backs were selected in McShay’s mock, which included:

• Travis Hunter (WR/CB)
• Jahdae Barron (CB)
• Nick Emmanwori (S)
• Will Johnson (CB)
• Malaki Starks (S)
• Maxwell Hairston (CB)
• Azareye’h Thomas (CB)

To McShay, that left Buffalo being able to select what he observes as the sixth-best cornerback (or fifth depending how you view Hunter) or third-best safety.

Instead, he saw the better move to make Grant the third defensive tackle off the board (Mason Graham and Derrick Harmon were both gone by pick 21). April’s draft is loaded at defensive tackle, which you can observe two ways: There’s more talent to be considered early; there’s every reason to wait until later.

We saw what happened when Beane selected cornerback Kaiir Elam. We’ve also seen what Buffalo accomplishes by drafting guys “under the radar” later on Days 2 and 3. Beane needs to find a strong draft class this year, and immediate-impact players within the first couple rounds.

Everything starts up front in the NFL, and the Bills need to figure out how to hold their own and then some. McShay provided one bonus pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 34 (who made a trade with the New York Giants in Round 1), sending cornerback Trey Amos to the NFC South.

Grant is a player who’s been sent to One Bills Drive in several early mocks shared here at Buffalo Rumblings.:

• Mel Kiper mock draft (January 23)
• Mock Draft round-up (February 4)
• Bruce Nolan’s mock draft (February 18)

Grant is also someone who stood out in B.J. Monacelli’s post-NFL Scouting Combine analysis on defensive tackles. Knowing who was selected ahead of the Bills and the long list of available players overall, what would you have done at pick 30? Does Buffalo passing on Amos in favor of Grant concern you?

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...s-need-for-buffalo-bills-in-latest-mock-draft

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Brandon Beane talks possible James Cook and Christian Benford extensions

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Bills’ GM is doing a media blitz of sorts and talked about two pending free agents.

Buffalo Bills general manger Brandon Beane has been on a mini press tour since free agency has slowed, first holding a press conference late last week before going on podcasts with former Bills center Eric Wood. This week, he also joined Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth’s Fitz and Whit show for an extended sitdown.

Both longtime NFL players praised the Bills for re-signing their homegrown players, obviously discussing Josh Allen and his contract extension along the way. Whitworth brought his experience from small-market Cincinnati to the table, saying how much it means for both the locker room and the city to see guys work their way into longer deals.

After they praised Beane for his work on that front, Fitzpatrick turned his attention to the two pending free agents the Bills haven’t yet signed; James Cook and Christian Benford.

Fitz asked if it was just a matter of time or if there were active discussions. It was a pretty direct question with a short answer.

“We’ve definitely had dialogue with those guys. That’s probably as far as I would take it,” said Beane.

Not exactly sounding like anything is going to get done soon. As much as Beane usually holds his cards close to his chest, he also is pretty honest when it comes to questions like this, but sometimes the devil is in the details. He didn’t mention either players’ agents nor that anything had momentum or movement, so it’s more about what he didn’t say than what he said.

That didn’t stop him from sharing his thoughts on his favorite way to build a roster.

“If you could draw up what I want ideally for this team it’s draft, develop — when I say develop that’s on and off the field, the full person, the player — and re-sign. Sometimes the business gets in the way and we’ve had to let guys go because we knew we just couldn’t afford them or we weren’t on the same page where their market was.”

Beane specifically cited Tremaine Edmunds as a player that was in Buffalo for five years that they really liked, but who signed a really nice deal elsewhere. He revealed he personally called him to congratulate him and reminds his departing players that the door isn’t closed for a return.

In recent years, the Bills have moved on from several players who ultimately returned to the organization. That’s something in which Beane takes pride. Still, he likes it best when he has more intimate knowledge of the players he’s writing fat checks for.

“One of the funnest joys is when you get to re-sign one of the guys that you drafted and developed. That’s much more fun to me than going to free agency and paying someone that you haven’t been around. You have to do it, it’s a necessary part of it to fill some holes prior to the draft, but those names that we’ve gotten done so far this offseason — [Khalil] Shakir, TB [Terrel Bernard], Greg Rousseau that’s what it’s about.”

In February, Cook began publicly lobbying for a new contract before he hits free agency in 2026. He said at the time he wanted to be paid $15 million per season, which would have been second in the NFL at the time but is now third. We have not heard anything from Benford’s camp as of yet, but he’s likely to sign a deal near the top of the market, as well.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...e-james-cook-and-christian-benford-extensions

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Buffalo Bills hosted FA DT with starting experience, per reports

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

One Bills Drive continues exploring all options centered on reshaping the interior of its defensive line.

The Buffalo Bills have reportedly met with unrestricted free-agent defensive tackle Leki Fotu, per Tom Pelissero who shared Fotu had previously met with Las Vegas Raiders personnel on March 20. Fotu’s scheduled visit on Friday, Mach 21 largely flew under the radar, but Buffalo’s interest in him is noteworthy.

Lotu is best observed as a tried-and-true classic nose tackle — he’s a massive space eater, standing 6’5 and weighing 335 pounds. But to this point in the NFL, the 26-year-old Lotu is still looking to make a bigger impact on the field.

Lotu was drafted by the Cardinals in Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft, landing in Arizona at 114 overall. After four seasons in the desert where he started 21 of 56 games for the Cardinals, Lotu hit free agency and landed in New Jersey.

Lotu’s arrival in the Meadowlands didn’t prove fruitful, where he managed three tackles (one solo) in two games. It was a brief stay with the New York Jets, leaving Lotu to find work with a new NFL team in 2025.

While some see Lotu as a reserve defensive tackle at this point, his time in Arizona shows a player who was productive when given opportunity. In four campaigns, he twice managed to start nine games during both the 2022 and 2024 NFL seasons. Overall, Lotu made 89 tackles (42 solo), 12 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, three pass defenses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery playing defense for the Cardinals.
(all stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference)

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Does Leki Fotu fit the Bills?

A massive mountain of a man with starting experience in the NFL physically capable of disrupting the trenches? Yes, Fotu could potentially fit into a role the Bills seek to repair. As we heard from general manager Brandon Beane, he’s had to change the stores he’s shopping in for free agents. That means bargain, short-term deals.

Buffalo could do worse than to give a chance to a guy who would immediately become one of the biggest players on the team. His starting experience is invaluable to NFL coaches, and at just 26 it may simply take the right coaching and environment for Lotu to fully tap into his professional potential.

Viewing Lotu as a potential starter with news of this meeting shouldn’t be the move. The trenches are manned by Ed Oliver (3-tech) and DaQuan Jones (1-tech) before all others until proven otherwise. But Jones isn’t getting any younger, and head coach Sean McDermott has said no multiple occasions that the play needs to improve in the trenches.

Does Leki Fotu’s visit to One Bills Drive register a certain way with you?

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/21/24391183/buffalo-bills-hosted-fa-dt-leki-fotu-per-reports

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Breaking down the Bills’ use of veteran contract benefits in 2025

Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

Buffalo has used the VSB and 4YQC on three players so far this offseason.

The NFL has two different salary cap benefits that allow teams to retain veteran players while minimizing their impact against the team’s cap: the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB) and the Four-Year Qualifying Contract (4YQC). In 2025, the Buffalo Bills have made smart use of both in order to sign three players to the roster.

Let’s break down what each benefit entails — and how they were applied to Damar Hamlin, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Darrick Forrest.

NFL Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB)​

The VSB allows a team to sign a veteran (any player with four or more credited seasons) to a one-year deal at the minimum base salary for their accrued seasons, while including up to $167,500 in bonus money (signing bonus, roster bonus, or incentives). The benefit here is that the team’s salary cap hit is reduced to that of the amount of a second-year veteran. For Laviska Shenault and Darrick Forrest, that amount is $1,030,000, plus their bonuses.

Laviska Shenault Jr.​

• Credited Seasons: 5
• Additional Comp: $15,000 signing bonus + $25,000 workout bonus
• Base Salary: $1,170,000 (5-year vet minimum)
• Cap Hit: $1,070,000 (the 2025 minimum for a second-year player $1,030,000 + $40,000 in bonuses)

Darrick Forrest​

• Credited Seasons: 4
• Bonus: $167,500 maxed out under the VSB rules
• Base Salary: $1,170,000 (4-year vet minimum)
• Cap Hit: $1,197,500 (the 2025 minimum for a second-year player $1,030,000 + $167,500 in bonuses)

Four-Year Qualifying Contract (4YQC)​

4YQC rewards a team for retaining its talent. It can only be used on players who:

• Have 4+ credited seasons
• Spent all four of their most recent seasons with the same team
• Were on the 90-man roster for every regular and postseason game during that span (uninterrupted).

A team may only offer two 4YQC contracts per year for a total of $1.55 million. The contract must be a one-year deal, and the player can earn up to $1.55 million more than the veteran minimum in base salary. However, only the minimum base salary counts against the cap.

Damar Hamlin​

• Credited Seasons: 4 (last four must all be with the same team)
• Signing Bonus: $167,500
• Base Salary: $1,832,500
• Total Cash Compensation: $2 million (fully guaranteed)
• Cap Hit: $1,337,500 (The minimum $1,170,000 for a four- or five-year veteran plus the $167,500 bonus).

Under the 4YQC, the Bills have saved $662,500 with Hamlin. That means they can sign another qualifying contract and save up to another $887,500. It would not be surprising to learn they leveraged this benefit when re-signing Reggie Gilliam.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...ills-use-of-veteran-contract-benefits-in-2025

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Here’s why the Buffalo Bills should avoid WR in Round 1 of 2025 NFL Draft

Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Too much competition and the luxury of having Josh Allen puts nabbing a pass catcher on the back burner

Roughly two weeks ago wide receiver DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 second-round pick and he received a five-year $150 million contract extension, a move the Bills could have easily matched in trade compensation but would have taken some finagling to work financially. General manager Brandon Beane ultimately decided not to go all in and settled for Josh Palmer at a reduced rate of three years and $29 million.

This decision made it clear that Beane believes the receiver room is good enough for 2025. On the surface, it’s a group of players with a lot to prove next season, but also enough talent to ensure the Bills likely shy away from selecting a wide receiver early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Recent Bills draft picks offer untapped potential​

The last two drafts Beane spent Buffalo’s first selection on a pass catcher, with tight end Dalton Kincaid in 2023 and wide receiver Keon Coleman in 2024. Both players have shown flashes of being viable long-term options for quarterback Josh Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s offense, but they each operated within the confines of a low-volume role in 2024. Injuries also robbed both of significant opportunity, as Coleman missed three games with a wrist injury and Kincaid was reportedly playing through a torn PCL.

During the 2024 season, Kincaid posted the worst catch rate (58%) among 35 qualified tight ends but still ranked near the top of the NFL for yards per route run and yards after the catch/per reception for tight ends. Buffalo will have a fairly big decision next offseason whether or not to pick up Kincaid’s fifth year option. Allowing him space to be a top option should help answer those questions.

Coleman suffered from drop as a rookie but he was also an immediate workhorse for the Bills as a boundary receiver. From the start, Coleman was used as the Buffalo’s top outside target both in contested catches and deep balls (fifth in average depth of target).

The team has already invested high-end draft capital into offensive weapons, so another pick geared towards receiver would just muddy the timeline of the roster and force somebody to feel like a wasted pick. If neither Coleman or Kincaid make a leap in 2025, Buffalo could reconsider their futures in Buffalo, but if the team was unsure of either player at this point they would have made a bigger splash in free agency.

The Bills must contend within confines of salary cap constraints​

A primary reason Josh Palmer became the preferred free-agent signing was the money the Bills have tied to tight end Dawson Knox and wide receiver Curtis Samuel in 2025. Knox and Samuel account for large dead -cap hits if released this season, but they remain viable cut options in 2026 — clearing up around 7% of Buffalo’s entire salary cap space.

With the recent extensions of wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrell Bernard, defensive end Greg Rousseau and Josh Allen all kicking in next season, it makes sense Buffalo didn't want to add a high-end receiver contract like Metcalf’s to the mix. The Bills also had to eat $15 million in dead cap this season by releasing edge rusher Von Miller, so freeing up proper cash flow next offseason after seeing if the young playmakers improve will give the team more clarity to decide what to do at wide receiver in 2026 and beyond.

Overall, with a core of Shakir, Coleman, Palmer, Kincaid, and Samuel, plus a focus on running the football. drafting a receiver early would add unnecessary competition in 2025. It’s a move that’s also unlikely to impact the roster in a meaningful way long term — at least under the current constructs of the depth chart.

The Bills’ future at receiver is already in Orchard Park, NY, and they all have a head start on any rookie set to enter the NFL in 2025.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...-should-avoid-wr-in-round-1-of-2025-nfl-draft

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this Bills linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Saturday, March 22, 2025
Friday, March 21, 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/23/24392108/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Can you guess this Bills lineman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Can you name this Buffalo Bills player in five clues or less?

Hey Bills fans! We’re back for another day of the Buffalo Rumblings in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link.

Previous games​

Friday, March 21, 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Buffalo Rumblings in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bills player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2025/3/22/24391521/sb-nation-bills-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Buffalo Bills training camp site for 2025 has been determined

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buffalo Bills’ training camp site has been decided for 2025.

The Buffalo Bills will return to St. John Fisher University for the 24th season according to a report from Rochester-based TV reporter Mike Catalana of 13WHAM. While the number of practices and the precise dates have still not been determined, the Bills are still driving down the Thruway for a couple weeks.

Training camp usually starts in late July with rookies reporting before veterans.

The team didn’t announce the training camp schedule until June in 2024.

How many Bills practices will be in Rochester?​

Catalana said the schedule will be similar to the last few years, with roughly 10 open practices for fans to attend. In 2017, Sean McDermott’s first training camp as Bills head coach, the team shortened the destination training camp by a week to just 13 practices. It has been that short or shorter ever since.

Which NFL teams still go away for training camp?​

Only a handful of NFL teams still go away for training camp. The Dallas Cowboys hold training camp in California as do the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs travel to Western Missouri State University. The Steelers stay a short drive away from Pittsburgh at St. Vincent Colelge. The New Orleans Saints have held training camp in California, but it’s unclear what the new coaching staff is planning in 2025.

The only years the Bills didn’t hold training camp away from the facility was 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why do some NFL teams go away for training camp?​

“We also feel there’s value in getting away to camp for at least the time that we’re going to be here for and I think a big piece of that is really to building the relationships where guys can hang out after practice and get to know one another a little bit better,” McDermott said in 2023.

Coaches say it removes distractions to have a sequestered training camp and encourages team-building, especially the down time in the dorms. Without family and home commitments, the level of focus is increased.

Why do some NFL teams stay home for training camp?​

The biggest reason to stay home for training camp is cost and effort. The Bills move tons of equipment from Orchard Park to Pittsford in order to hold training camp. In 2019, the Bills opened a state-of-the-art training facility that they don’t get to use for the weeks they are at St. John Fisher, too. The university offers very nice facilities, but not like the one at Highmark Stadium.

How long have the Bills used St. John Fisher for training camp?​

The Bills have been coming to Rochester since 2000, when they attempted to regionalize the Western New York fanbase. Team president at the time, Russ Brandon worked a deal with his alma mater, and the Bills have been there ever since outside of two COVID-19 training camps in Orchard Park. It’s the 24th season in Pittsford.

There is no long-term agreement in place between the Bills and the school, which is why we get yearly announcements. Their last multi-year deal expired during the pandemic.

Before Pittsford, the Bills were at SUNY Fredonia from 1981 to 1999, Niagara University from 1968 to 1980, the Sheraton Camelot Motor Inn in Blasdell from 1963 to 1967, and the Roycroft Inn & Knox Estates in East Aurora from 1960 to 1962.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...ning-to-st-john-fisher-for-training-camp-2025

 

[Buffalo Bills]

How Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula helps shape the draft room

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills’ owner Terry Pegula plays an active role in the team’s draft process

Buffalo Bills majority co-owner Terry Pegula is more than just a passive observer regarding the NFL draft process. In a recent interview on the Fitz & Whit podcast, Bills general manager Brandon Beane gave fans an inside look at how involved Pegula is in the process.

Some NFL owners take a hands-off approach, and some are the decision makers (Jerry Jones), but Pegula seems to be somewhere in between and enjoys being part of the process.

Terry Pegula at the NFL Combine​

“Terry’s awesome. He loves the process” Beane said. “He’s got an analytical mind, and he sits in. He’s one of the few owners that comes to the combine. He sits in all our interviews.”

According to Beane, Pegula's presence at the NFL Combine is mainly low profile but he is fully engaged sitting in on all 15-minute interviews with draft prospects as the Bills evaluate them.

“He doesn’t say a word. They don’t even know he’s the owner,” Beane shared. “Once in a while, if a guy from Penn State comes in, I’ll see if I can put him on the spot. ‘You know who the owner of the Bills is?’ Sometimes they know, sometimes they don’t.”

Pegula’s involvement continues beyond the draft, as he also attends scouting meetings and final draft discussions before the big day.

Terry Pegula asks questions to hone the group’s opinions​

Pegula does more than just listen to draft discussions, he also takes notes on the entire room's perspective. He later follows up with questions, usually to the side, that challenge assumptions in the room.

Beane said on the podcast, “He’s taken a lot of notes — what this scout said, what this coach said, how I see it. Then he’ll come back, sometimes not in the room, but later he’ll ask ‘Hey, y’all were talking about these two running backs, and you put this guy on top. But the way I heard it, I felt like the room like the other guy more. What am I missing here?’”

These keen observations and tough questions act as a double-check and provide productive discussions to sort things out.

“They’re great questions. And I think he deserves that, to be the owner, to ask those questions,” Beane said.

Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane encourage tough conversations​

One of my favorite parts of the interview is when Beane shared that Pegula values and encourages independent thinking in the draft room. Discouraging groupthink is an important part of the process and gives scouts and coaches to voice their true opinions.

Beane tells his scouts and coaches, “Don't hold back. Say what you feel, even if you’re disagreeing with me. Speak up if you have a thought and you did the work.”

This culture of open debate is encouraged by Pegula.

“Terry likes that too. He doesn’t want to run a groupthink. He wants a little bit of conflict in there,” Beane said.

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Pegula’s involvement in the Buffalo Bills’ NFL draft process is unique, and Bills fans were lucky to get a peak behind the curtain into the Bills draft room. Brandon Beane gets most of the credit for building the Bills roster but owner Terry Pegula has had a hand in fostering an environment that is open and well thought out, helping shape Buffalo’s draft success and keeping the team competitive year after year.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...owner-terry-pegula-helps-shape-the-draft-room

 

[Buffalo Bills]

DTs the Buffalo Bills should consider early during 2025 NFL Draft

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We shift our attention to the trenches, where the Bills need more physicality

Last week, we began our multi-part series on top prospects at positions of need for the Buffalo Bills during the early rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft, focusing on cornerbacks and edge rushers. This week, we return to discuss defensive tackles, because just like that, free agency is roaring down the other side of the hill. After the legal tampering period opened for the NFL on March 10 at noon, the rush for teams to fill roster needs in a quest to meaningfully improve their chances for success in 2025 began.

By the time you get to this point in the offseason, most of the top free agents have committed and put pen to paper elsewhere. While the rest of the NFL watchers wait for the final quarterback seats to be filled in this year’s edition of “musical signal-caller chairs,” Bills fans can begin turning their attention to next month’s NFL Draft. (Most of the NFL community is focused there while we wait for Aaron Rodgers/Russell Wilson/Kirk Cousins news anyway.)

Bills general manager Brandon Beane has been very active in free agency. Not just re-signing previous draft picks Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Gregory Rousseau, and Josh Allen to extensions prior to their contracts running out, but also signing double-digit unrestricted free agents who could choose to sign with any team in the league.

However, a list of needs for the Bills would not be blank — even for the most optimistic of fans. So let’s take a look at some potential early round targets for the team at DT:

***note: neither needs nor player lists are ranked, nor are they exhaustive***

2025 NFL Draft Defensive Tackles for Bills to consider​

• Derrick Harmon, DT (Oregon)
• Darius Alexander, DT (Toledo)
• Tyleik Williams, DT (Ohio State)
• Alfred Collins, DT (Texas)
• Kenneth Grant, DT (Michigan)

There’s a better-than-zero chance that both Harmon and Grant are gone by the time the Bills pick at 30 overall and possibly even before they got into range of a reasonable trade up in the first round. But we’ve seen crazier things before in past drafts.

Harmon represents an ideal two-gapping defensive tackle in the Bills’ scheme, doing an excellent job corralling offensive linemen to keep his linebackers clean (a necessity when playing nickel as often as the Bills do and with linebackers like the newly extended Terrel Bernard, newly restructured Matt Milano, and Dorian Williams). His hands are in a constant state of twitch and power and he has the requisite length and shedding ability to provide peek and clear value as a pass rusher even in a role that doesn’t ask him to consistently penetrate a single gap. He has a habit of playing higher than ideal and relying on his upper body to win reps and he doesn’t have fluid hips for change of direction, but his 10-yard split of 1.73 shows enough linear burst to help him solidify himself as a Day 1 prospect.

Grant is the freak of the group, with his athleticism showing up during individual reps on film and also on Bruce Feldman’s annual college football “Freak List” — where grant made an appearance. Grant shows flashes of elite quickness for a 334-pound lineman, with a swim move and a long arm in his repertoire, and very strong tape against Michigan rival Ohio State. In addition, his football character was praised by scouts at the Senior Bowl.

One of the key things to consider when selecting any defensive tackle for the Bills is whether they can both command and hold up to double teams. The counter to the Harmon discussion above, asking the second level to take on additional gap assignment to make up for the defensive interior’s inability to play two gaps is likely a net-neutral proposition at best. Can Grant consistently play two gaps while maintaining disruption ability? This is a player who gets taken on potential, with the hopes that an NFL team can get the hot moments to appear more regularly and the cold moments to dissipate.

Grant’s rival with the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, Tyleik Williams is the most significant pass-rushing projection on this list, and some teams may view him as a two-down player, which might significantly impact his likelihood of sneaking into the bottom of Round 1 or early on Day 2. Compounding this, Williams possesses a 78 5/8” wingspan, causing teams to potentially question where exactly he fits as a defensive lineman in the pros. But pop on the tape and you’ll see Williams built like a fire hydrant with a powerful lower half and a violent early rep game. If an offensive lineman is not absolutely locked in for the first second-and-a-half of the play, Williams will put him in a significant disadvantage with quickness and power. Many a run play was broken up by Williams winning early and contacting a runner at the line of scrimmage or earlier.

Darius Alexander, like Kenneth Grant, may be a projection pick for NFL teams. He possesses all the tools (9.72 RAS, 34-inch arms, 6’4” and 310 pounds) with Neo-facing-Smith-level hand activity to pry himself loose from blockers. His length and his use of it, combined with that shedding ability would seem to project him well into a two-gapping “peek and clear” role (even though he spent a lot of his playing time as a three technique). But the thing holding him back from that being a slam dunk is that his tendency to get tunnel-visioned and inability to maintain good play awareness while simultaneously engaged with a blocker.

Alfred Collins isn’t a typical pick for Buffalo at defensive tackle. Those 6’6”, 332 pound tackles who played a chunk of their snaps directly over center are not what the team has historically gravitated towards in the draft, but new coaching additions on the defensive side of the ball leave the door open to shifting philosophies. He may have the longest way to go of anyone on this list to be a complete player against the pass, but a motor combined with an 85” wingspan and excellent body composition gives him a high floor for any team with a nose tackle need. Collins had some high highs and some low lows in the College Football Playoff against Georgia, showcasing excellent block shedding ability while engaging offensive linemen at the ends of his reach, but losing balance in his lower body on occasion, leading to negative reps.

We’ll continue this series next week with a look at wide receivers. Who are your early round targets for consideration for the Bills and what do you think of them?

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...and that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan with Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Rumblings Cast Network — see more in my LinkTree!

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...s-should-consider-early-during-2025-nfl-draft