Welcome to the latest edition of the Bills Mailbag. We’ve got one week to go until the start of the regular season. Let’s get right to your questions …
Dave R. in Baltimore asks: After reading Lance Lysowski’s article about the Bills’ need to complete more deep passes, I started to wonder about Mack Hollins and Gabe Davis. The Bills likely had an opportunity to extend Hollins after last season but didn't, letting him walk. Davis apparently did not check the boxes at his recent tryout. Why do you think Brandon Beane passed on them? If you were general manager and could get one of them back, which would it be and why?
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Former Bills receiver Gabe Davis recently made a free-agent visit to the team, but left without a contract. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Jay: With Hollins, who is a bit of an NFL vagabond, it seemed to come down to money. There is no question his presence in the locker room was valued by the team. Heck, look at all the players who don’t wear shoes now after practices! I’m kidding about that, somewhat, but Hollins exceeded expectations in his one year with the team. With Davis, I believe his recent visit was more of a medical checkup than anything else. I’m not certain he’s healthy enough to play, which could explain why he remains unsigned, not just by the Bills, but 31 other teams. I wouldn't rule out the Bills revisiting the possibility of re-signing Davis later in the season, particularly if they had a run of injuries at wide receiver, but for now, things seem to be pretty quiet on that front.
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Given the choice, at this point I’d want Hollins back, because he’s healthy and can contribute on special teams. Davis was never much of a special-teams player.
Tim Kwiatkowski asks: I was very surprised that neither Laviska Shenault Jr. nor KJ Hamler were added to the Bills’ practice squad. I know that Hamler became the darling of “Hard Knocks,” but I think he showed to be very capable in the preseason. In my opinion, Shenault is a very talented athlete, as I remember him as a real offensive threat in his college days. Am I missing something? What is your opinion?
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Jay: As veterans with at least four years of experience, both Shenault and Hamler did not have to clear waivers and immediately became unrestricted free agents. It’s possible that both of them wanted to see if there was an opportunity to latch on to another 53-man roster. Obviously, that hasn’t materialized. In Hamler’s case, the Bills had him on the practice squad last season and promoted other receivers to the active roster ahead of him. That was a sign of where he stood on the organizational depth chart.
For both Hamler and Shenault, their clearest path to a spot on the Bills’ active roster was going to be in the return game. The team felt that last year’s primary returner, Brandon Codrington, did enough in the preseason to hang onto that job. Collectively, media members and fans make far too big of a deal of the fifth or sixth receiver on any NFL roster. The reality is, the top three or four receivers on the depth chart are truly the ones that matter most. Beyond that, No. 5 or No. 6 is going to play a special teams role, at best. Once the coaching staff decided Codrington was the best option as the returner, both Shenault and Hamler became expendable. Neither of them coming back to the practice squad is mildly surprising, but as long as they remain unsigned, that possibility still exists. The practice squad is generally fluid this time of year.
David in Cheektowaga asks: Just curious, are the members of the practice squad counted toward the salary cap?
Jay: Yes they are. So, too, are players on injured reserve. For the 2025 season, the minimum salary for players on the practice squad with two years of experience or less is $13,000 per week. The salary for players with more than two years of experience make a minimum of $17,500 per week, with a maximum of $22,000 per week.
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Larry Schiro asks: Cutdown day begs the question of what use is there to bring in so many guys who really have a near-zero chance to make the team? It seems to me that this bloated roster builds the hopes of guys only to give them their walking papers after six weeks of training. Second, it seems to me that six weeks of camp is way too long. This is a vestige of long-ago training camps when they needed six weeks to get ready for the season. Today’s players come in to camp in game shape and just have to work on being “team” ready. Lastly, three preseason games should be cut down to two. It is in my opinion a money grab by the owners from tickets at full prices and TV revenue.
Jay: The change from three preseason games to two is coming Larry, but it will be made when an 18th game is added to the schedule. I do agree that charging full price for preseason games is robbery by the owners. The reduction of preseason games from three to two should make everyone happy, except maybe the players, but the increased revenue will be welcomed by them.
As for taking 90 players to camp, the number of injuries sometimes demands teams have that many players in place to be able to run a successful practice. Your point about some players not having much of a realistic chance to make the roster is a fair one, but you also don’t want to be wearing out your starters taking too many reps under the hot summer sun. You hear about “camp bodies,” and that’s true to a point. There are definitely players who are signed that you know don’t have much of a chance of making the roster. It was obvious some of the players who signed with the Bills before the third preseason game were only there for that game. It’s worth it for those players, though, because they’re putting performances on film for 31 other teams, too. As for reducing the length of camp, sign me up! I’m all for an extended summer, but the pushback from coaches on such a proposal would be swift. They complain now about not having enough practice time.
Paul Chlebowski asks: When Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi come off suspension, do the Bills have to move them to the regular roster or can they leave them in limbo? If the young replacements are playing really well, can the Bills risk moving them to the practice squad and possibly losing them to some other team?
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Jay: The short answer is yes, the Bills will have to move Hoecht and Ogunjobi to the active roster when their respective suspensions end. That will necessitate a couple of difficult decisions, provided everyone on the current 53-man roster stays healthy. Of course, the chances of that are slim, so there is the possibility of an injury that opens up a roster spot or two, making life easier for general manager Brandon Beane. Regarding the defensive line, it’s highly unlikely that the Bills would risk losing any of their rookies – T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson or Deone Walker – because to get them to the practice squad would require waiving them, which would then allow the 31 other NFL teams the opportunity to claim them. That’s not a risk Beane will be willing to take. Instead, it would be the players who are viewed by the front office and coaching staff as Nos. 52 and 53 on the roster who would need to be released in order to free up room for Hoecht and Ogunjobi.
Roger asks: With the increased scrutiny by the NFL to protect its players – concussion protocols, new kickoff rules and the focus on vicious hits – can you foresee Roger Goodell & Co. paring back preseason games and encouraging teams to schedule the newly popular joint practices? The negotiated settlement might be that 18th regular season game, but these organized practices give the coaching staff more time and focus to determine the development and progress of their players. I know you can’t protect players from noncontact injuries, but at least you can limit a number of injuries before Week 1.
Jay: As mentioned above, I see the 18th game as an inevitability. I’m not nearly as confident that we’ll ever see the preseason go away entirely. The reason for that, Roger, is what you mentioned: money. The league can charge season ticket holders full price for exhibition games. Owners are never going to walk away from that. The trade-off will be one less preseason game for one more regular season game, which the players will eventually go for because it will mean more money in their pockets.
Jeff Miller asks: Do you think Josh Allen had any input into the quarterback cuts/keepers? And the “duh” question of the preseason: Have there ever been any players who could play both defensive tackle and edge? I suppose he would have to be slightly smaller by defensive tackle standards, yet super quick with his feet. I know on the other side of the ball the coaches prefer players who can play multiple positions. Lastly, were there no interceptions during the preseason games on either side of the ball?
Jay: As the most important person in the organization, there is no question Allen’s opinion on basically every topic is important and weighed heavily by the organization. However, I don’t think he would go to the coaching staff or front office and say this player should be cut or this player should be kept. If they asked his opinion, I’m sure he would share it, but it feels unlikely that he would volunteer that information without being asked. In this case, Allen seemed to have a great working relationship with all of the quarterbacks. It is true that a big part of the backup quarterback’s job is working well with Allen, both in the film room during the week preparing for the game and on the sideline during the game, talking through the defensive looks the offense is getting. Ultimately, however, the decision on the backup comes down to who the coaching staff and front office gives them the best chance to win if Allen had to leave the lineup – God forbid.
As for hybrid defensive linemen, that’s fairly common. On the Bills in recent years, Quinton Jefferson and Dawuane Smoot have moved inside to tackle on certain downs. Even Greg Rousseau has done it a bit, although that’s rare. Lastly, you’re correct Jeff, the Bills did not throw or record an interception in their three preseason games.
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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