Jay Skurski
Welcome to another edition of the Bills Mailbag. Let’s dive right into your questions …
Ken asks: Everything is tracked these days, so my question is, statistically, are some players more prone to injuries than others? For example, Joey Bosa has had multiple injuries in his career, but when he’s healthy, he excels. Is it a coincidence, bad luck, or do the statistics indicate “physics/heredity” – in which case, should (the Bills) avoid these players?
Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa: 'No question' he will be ready for training camp
Injured Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa said his calf injury is progressing and he expects to be ready for the start of training camp.
Jay: The answer is a combination of all those things. If one player crashes into another player’s knee, causing a torn ACL, that’s bad luck. But the phrase “injury-prone” exists for a reason. Bosa has that label after the last few years – even if some, or all, of his injuries were out of his control. Though some injuries are impossible to predict, we hear every year of players coming into the NFL with red flags on their medical reports. That’s what makes the NFL scouting combine so important for teams, because prospects go through a full physical that sometimes uncovers injury concerns. Teams then have to make decisions on how serious those concerns are. In some cases, they’ll remove players from their draft board or move them down to a lower round. Injury prediction is, of course, an inexact science, but teams do their best at it when evaluating and/or signing players.
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BA asks: Cole Bishop noted how he came to Buffalo early to train and study. While he was hampered by injuries during his rookie year, it seemed clear the coaches expected more from him. How much of the complexity of the position is attributable to his struggles last year, separate from the injury woes? Next to quarterback, is safety the most difficult position to master?
Bills safety Cole Bishop feels comfortable as he makes jump to Year 2. The defense needs him
It’s far too early for coach Sean McDermott to publicly declare starters, as he and the coaching staff want to stay flexible in the spring and summer. But Bishop now clearly has an opportunity to be a full-time defensive starter this season.
Jay: Last year at training camp, Bills coach Sean McDermott said, in his mind, the three toughest positions to learn at the NFL level are quarterback, middle linebacker and safety. With that in mind, it’s fair to say that part of Bishop’s difficult transition to the pros had to do with the complexity of the position. To your point, though, BA, that’s only part of it. Injuries also played a part – particularly the shoulder injury he suffered in training camp. That cut into valuable development time. Play strength is another issue for Bishop. I keep going back to that jump ball in the AFC championship game against the Chiefs that Kansas City receiver Xavier Worthy – all 160 pounds of him, soaking wet – wrestled away from Bishop. That absolutely can’t happen, even if the ball looked like it hit the ground and should have been ruled incomplete. Along those lines, seeing Bishop miss time during last week’s mandatory minicamp has to be something of a disappointment. It’s clear that the next step for him is to take over as a clear-cut starter. That’s the expectation for a second-round draft choice. If he can’t stay on the field, it’s going to be hard for the coaching staff to trust him.
John G. asks: Watching the U.S. women’s national soccer team play in St. Louis recently made me wonder – will our new stadium be used for more than the old one? Why couldn’t we have high-profile events? Does Terry Pegula have the final say?
Jay: New Highmark Stadium will be owned by the state, with the Bills having a 30-year lease. As such, Pegula wouldn’t necessarily have “final say” on events inside the stadium, although he will surely have significant influence as the owner of the primary tenant. Absolutely, one of the primary goals of the new stadium will be to host more events – concerts, other sporting events, etc. The goal should be to use the facility a lot more than for just 10 to 12 football games per year for the Bills.
Jeff Miller asks: Do the Bills’ training facilities ever really close down? Obviously, on holidays, etc., but say, 50 weeks a year, is it available? It sounds like a number of players use the facility throughout the winter and spring. Do rookies receive any financial compensation before they are signed for the final roster? In a recent mailbag, you mentioned that they are provided a hotel room and are fed during practices and can take food with them, but they need some kind of life.
Jay: No, the team facility is open to players rehabbing from injury basically at any point. That includes now, which is the “dead” time on the league calendar. Rehab obviously happens on a set schedule, so teams can’t really close the facility. As for payments during rookie minicamp, the league’s collective bargaining agreement with players states that participating first-year players receive a $161 daily payment for each day of the camp, along with meals, travel and housing allowances for each day of the camp.
Mark David asks: Assuming they are all at full health (or close), what do you predict Buffalo will do at defensive line once Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht return?
With mandatory minicamp in the books, an updated Bills 53-man roster projection
The Buffalo Bills next will be together at training camp, which opens in July at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford. After a full spring of practices, it is a good time to project what the team’s initial 53-man roster will look like.
Jay: This is a great question. In my 53-man roster projection after minicamp, I had the Bills keeping 10 defensive linemen – Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, Joey Bosa, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon, Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, T.J. Sanders, Deone Walker and DeWayne Carter. Of those, the two I’d consider most at risk of being cut are Solomon and Carter. Of course, it doesn’t have to be an injury along the defensive line to open a roster spot. It’s a pretty good bet somebody will be hurt in the first six weeks, and that could open at least one spot. If everyone stays healthy, the first to go would be Solomon, in my mind. As a third-round pick in 2024, the Bills surely would not want to move on from Carter so soon. I had the Bills going heavy at defensive back in my projection, keeping 12. They could reduce a spot there to make room for another defensive lineman after the suspensions end.
Richard S. asks: Is it possible that Josh Allen expressed a real preference for the “everybody eats”/no No. 1 wide receiver approach so that he doesn’t have to deal with a true No. 1 receiver being a diva? Or for whatever reason?
Jay: It’s entirely possible. While there may not be one “smoking gun” when it comes to the deterioration of the relationship between Allen and Stefon Diggs, it’s clear that it had, in fact, deteriorated to the point that a breakup was in the best interest of all parties. It’s not a surprise that Allen looked and acted like a man who had a significant weight removed from his shoulders last season. His personal life played into that, as did his professional relationships. The lasting image of Diggs’ time in Buffalo, for me, is him screaming at Allen on the sideline during the playoff loss to the Bengals after the 2022 season. During his final season in Buffalo, after Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator, the Bills practically phased Diggs out of the offense – and it got better. That likely showed them that they could move on without impacting the offense in a negative way. That proved to be the case. By all accounts, Allen was on board with that plan. I can’t imagine general manager Brandon Beane making such a big move without consulting his quarterback. Allen deserves credit for being on board with the plan – and being the engine that made it run.
Ed asks: In your estimation, which undrafted free agent will beat the odds and make the Bills’ season-opening roster or practice squad? Or is it easier to pick a long shot on Father’s Day at the Fort Erie track?
Jay: Bet the ponies, at least for the 53-man roster. The practice squad is another issue – that’s a realistic goal for any rookie undrafted free agent. In my 53-man projection at the conclusion of minicamp, I did not have any UDFAs making the team. It’ll take a Joe Andreessen-like training camp and preseason for any UDFA to earn a spot. If I had to pick one – and I will, just because you asked – I’ll go with guard Rush Reimer. The Bills have more depth at tackle than they do on the interior of the line, slightly increasing Reimer’s chances. I’d rather take my luck on a 100-to-1 long shot at the track, though.
Tom W. asks: What is your take on the James Cook situation? I get the (salary) cap limitations, the depth the Bills have at the position, and that Cook was not a three-down back. But he’s improved every year, has an explosiveness that has been critical at key times, and would appear to be a special part of the offensive alchemy that produced a lot of points last year.
Jay: I love Cook as a player. He was the Bills’ best offensive player in the AFC championship game, and that includes Allen. Cook’s touchdown in that game against the Chiefs is one of the best individual efforts I’ve seen in my time covering the Bills. With all that … I’ve got no problem with the approach the Bills are taking. The reality is, Cook does not have a lot of negotiating power. If he has another great year and the Bills determine their offense can’t function without him, Beane can apply the franchise tag to Cook next offseason. That wouldn’t be the worst thing for Cook, because it would guarantee him about $14 million. That’s good money for a running back. It also wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Bills, because it would minimize the risk that comes with signing a player to a long-term contract at such a rugged position. My opinion remains unchanged: The Bills should let this year play out and then make a decision. Cook will be motivated to have another big season to get paid next year, either in Buffalo or someplace else.
Tommyk asks: If I’m a vegetarian, can I still eat animal crackers?
Jay: As long as they’re not made with real bits of elephant or tiger, you’re all good, Tommyk.
Thank you for all the questions this week. As a reminder, they can be submitted via X to @JaySkurski or by email to jskurski@buffnews.com.
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