Latest / Alex Brasky: Unfiltered / Josh Allen Red-Hot at Bills and Browns Joint Practice, Are Injuries Still Sean McDermott's Fault?

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Josh Allen Red-Hot at Bills and Browns Joint Practice, Are Injuries Still Sean McDermott's Fault? · Alex Brasky: Unfiltered

0:00
SPEAKER_00: From the heart of Bill Mafia, this is our Grassy Unfiltered, Buffalo's most polarizing football show.
0:07
SPEAKER_00: No hot takes for flicks, no sugar coating, just bold opinions, insider perspective, and unfiltered Bill's talk.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: Let's go.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Hello, everybody, and welcome back by Popular Demand.
0:24
SPEAKER_00: This is Alex Brasky Unfiltered, your first stop for raw, honest takes on the Buffalo Bills and more.
0:31
SPEAKER_00: Please like, share, rate, and subscribe to the podcast.
0:34
SPEAKER_00: And also leave a comment on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:41
SPEAKER_00: Well, we are one step closer to real football as the preseason is underway.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: And first we'll discuss what Joe Brady called, quote, as close to the regular season as it gets.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: That is the Bills joint practice with the Cleveland Browns this afternoon.
0:59
SPEAKER_00: And plenty of updates to be had from the field in Berea.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: Berea, Ohio.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: I'm not really sure how you say that.
1:07
SPEAKER_00: I've been to Cleveland several times and other areas throughout Ohio as well, but never to Berea or Berea.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: Now I'm starting to think it's Berea.
1:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm starting to settle on that.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: But uh let me know in the chat if you know for sure how to pronounce that.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: Anyway, a lot of good updates from the men and women on scene in Ohio today.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: I had some videos from Matt Bovey, Jeremy Fowler, John Acosta, Ryan Talbot, Matt Perino, some information from Jay Skersky, a lot of reporters on the scene in Ohio watching the Bills Browns joint practice.
1:47
SPEAKER_00: And that's where a lot of the information from this podcast came from.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: So it was a good look inside the joint practice, not typical for the Buffalo Bills in terms of what they allow their reporters to report on and frankly videotape and photograph and discuss during and after the practice.
2:10
SPEAKER_00: So uh a lot revealed today as the Bills went up against a team with different uniforms on in a practice setting, which for some they believe that you can get a little bit more out of a joint practice than a preseason game.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: You're able to structure things a little bit more to suit your needs at a given time.
2:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh, if you have some injuries, you can kind of steer clear in that way.
2:33
SPEAKER_00: But as far as the action on the field, it was a great day for the Bills' offense, particularly Josh Allen and the team's group of tight ends.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: There's a bunch of injuries to deal with at the wide receiver position.
2:47
SPEAKER_00: We'll get to those later, and whether or not those are still Sean McDermott's fault, as one report this offseason would like to make you believe.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: But with the wide receivers injured today, by all reports, it was the tight ends taking over in the Buffalo Bills passing game.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: That is Dalton Kincaid, that is Dawson Knox, that is Jackson Hawes, particularly the first and last of those names.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: He had Kincaid finding the end zone multiple times.
3:17
SPEAKER_00: The highlight of his day came on a deep ball down the field where he said it was the most wide open he's ever been in the NFL.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: And that just goes to show you the type of day that the Cleveland Browns secondary had this afternoon in that joint practice.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: But a great day for Kincaid.
3:35
SPEAKER_00: Jackson Hawes made a couple of grabs, one over the middle in the end zone, and Josh Allen really raving about Hawes's growth after the practice, saying that he's more than just that blocking tight end.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: He has good hands, and also adding that he's an aura.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: He's got Catan aura.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: He's some Catan lord or something like that.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of love for Jackson Hawes, Dalton Kincaid.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: And there was also this great anticipatory throw from Josh Allen to Dawson Knox early in the practice where Allen let it go even before Knox had turned around and looked for the ball.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: He did turn around and look for the ball.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: Ball was right there on his hands, made the catch for a nice gain.
4:17
SPEAKER_00: So Josh Allen's connection deep down the field is something that has really come alive during this training camp and preseason.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: And it's something I've been very critical of in the past.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: And I think rightfully so.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: Frankly, Josh Allen has kind of sucked at throwing the deep ball in the past few years.
4:35
SPEAKER_00: He had that one good season years ago, but over the past many years, connecting down the field has not been his strength.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: But during training camp, that has undoubtedly been his strength.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: You saw it with Kincaid today, but you've seen it with DJ Moore time and time again throughout training camp.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: If Josh Allen's able to add that deep ball to his arsenal this year, that could solve any ill that the Bills' offense could possibly imagine to deal with in the 2026 campaign.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: If he can add that to his repertoire, get some separation from his pass catchers.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: Kincaid has done a nice job creating that separation.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: It's just a matter if he's healthy or not.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: And he has been healthy throughout training camp.
5:24
SPEAKER_00: And now you have DJ Moore, another player who can create that separation.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to add something on DJ Moore a little bit later.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm starting to eat my words on him.
5:34
SPEAKER_00: But there's a lot of impressive glimpses and flashes that you've seen from this Bills passing game deep down the field, particularly.
5:45
SPEAKER_00: You saw it again today on video from Dalton Kincaid, specifically with Josh Allen.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: And it's just been great to watch.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: And if this can translate into the regular season, Josh Allen has MVP written all over him once again in 2026.
6:01
SPEAKER_00: Now, I am a little bit worried about the Bills' deep pass defense.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: They've had a little bit of trouble defending against Allen throughout training camp.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: And they had a little bit of trouble once again today going up against the bottom of the barrel Cleveland Browns quarterback.
6:19
SPEAKER_00: I mean, quarterbacks, excuse me.
6:21
SPEAKER_00: You have the ghost of Deshaun Watson's controversial past.
6:27
SPEAKER_00: We won't go any deeper than that, allegedly.
6:31
SPEAKER_00: And you have Shadur Sanders, who was probably, if not the worst, among the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last year.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: And the Bills secondary got beat deep down the field against Deshaun Watson a couple times when Watson was targeting rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion, somebody who I wanted the Bills to target in this past year's draft, but obviously they trade down, they get TJ Parker.
7:00
SPEAKER_00: The rest is history.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: Watson finds Concepcion down the field twice.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: Dorian Williams did have good coverage in one of those situations, but the Bills cornerbacks in secondary, they've had their moments at camp.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: You've heard me rave about Kennai Walker.
7:17
SPEAKER_00: Christian Benford's been solid, hasn't been locked down, hasn't been above and beyond.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: I've had some worries about Maxwell Harrison beyond his injury trouble.
7:28
SPEAKER_00: And other than that, there are some ups and downs with Davison Igbenosen and the other depth on the roster.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: The deep ball is the biggest concern for this secondary.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: And you kind of want to pump the brakes because Cole Bishop has dealt with injury, CJ Gardner Johnson, who made a strong impact early on in camp.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: He's been out recently.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, this continues to happen.
7:54
SPEAKER_00: And when it happens against the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson in a joint practice scenario, the worry level starts to increase a little bit.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: Now, am I ringing alarm bells on the Bills secondary?
8:08
SPEAKER_00: No.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: But am I thinking that they should bring in a player like Tradavius White, who might give you that floor level or that decent floor that he has the capability to at least stop teams from attacking down the field, making those big plays.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: Maybe he gives up receptions here and there with his advanced age and with the Bills set to advance to or transition to some man coverage this year, which isn't necessarily his strength at this stage of his career.
8:38
SPEAKER_00: I think bringing in Tradavius White, who I'll continue to pound the drum for, would be a wise decision for the Bills.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: And you saw examples of it today, just the overall inexperience allowing receivers to get over the top.
8:51
SPEAKER_00: And I, like I said, pump the brakes because of the safety position.
8:55
SPEAKER_00: Jalen Kilgore is also out with an injury.
8:58
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, when these same issues continue to pop up time and time again during training camp, first against Josh Allen and now against the Cleveland Browns, uh, it starts to raise that level of concern with the Bills secondary.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: But as I said, a little bit more to be seen.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: And I think we'll see some, not from the starters, I don't think, and we'll discuss that a little bit later, but I think we'll see more from the depth players on this team as the preseason goes on.
9:28
SPEAKER_00: And maybe if they can get some more reps, they can get a little bit more comfortable.
9:32
SPEAKER_00: Maxwell Harrison, a little bit further removed from what has been reported as a groin injury.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: That can only help him.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: So uh some room for future optimism for this group, but at the same time, currently there's room for concern with the Bills secondary, particularly after today, with the Bills joint practice against the Cleveland Browns.
9:59
SPEAKER_00: And once again, please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast would really, really help the show.
10:10
SPEAKER_00: All right, so another big storyline of today's joint practice with the Browns injury updates.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: And Joe Brady has been like vintage Mike Tortorella or John Tortorella, excuse me, in the NHL, just withholding all sorts of injury information, just saying lower body injury and not going any deeper than that.
10:34
SPEAKER_00: He'll be forced to once the regular season starts.
10:37
SPEAKER_00: But he mentioned today that he still feels there's a lot of time between now and the regular season, hinting at his lack of concern over a lot of these injuries.
10:46
SPEAKER_00: And he also mentioned he's not concerned with the Texans matchup right now.
10:51
SPEAKER_00: So no real information uh until injury reports are released and when the regular season rolls around.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: But if you ask me, I mentioned alarm bells earlier.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: I'm getting close to alarm bells on Connor McGovern.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: That injury did not look good at the return of the blue and red.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: The way that he went down once, and I don't think it was the same injury, but he he went down once, he he got up, and then he goes down with what I appeared to be some sort of hamstring injury, hobbled off the field, wasn't to be seen or heard of again.
11:23
SPEAKER_00: And I think some reporters have talked with him, and he's saying he's gonna do whatever he can to get ready for week one, but at the same time, hamstring injury is tough, and he doesn't play in athletic position like wide receiver, running back, cornerback, where he's really got to open it up in the open field.
11:41
SPEAKER_00: He's at the center of the offensive line, and uh it's really a cerebral uh thing more than anything, that center position.
11:50
SPEAKER_00: So uh I think while his role is key in that unit, I'm not sure what he's asked to do is going to really jeopardize that injury, and it it also may give him the opportunity to play through it.
12:08
SPEAKER_00: So, still some optimism with Connor McGovern, some room for it, at least.
12:13
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, it didn't look good.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: He's been out for a while.
12:18
SPEAKER_00: This isn't some young buck early in his career, so you just paid this guy a boatload of money in the offseason.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: You've sunk a ton of money into this offensive line overall.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: It needs to be one of the strengths of your offense.
12:32
SPEAKER_00: And we mentioned the matchup with the Texans and how Joe Brady isn't concerned.
12:37
SPEAKER_00: He he might want to be concerned with a team who sacked Josh Allen more than a handful of times last year and really got after the quarterback, like very few teams in the NFL did last year.
12:49
SPEAKER_00: Will Anderson is a phenomenal pass rusher.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: Tamiko Ryan's a defensive mind and head coach.
12:54
SPEAKER_00: So you know the Texans are going to bring it.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: You need McGovern helping with the protections and anchoring, helping anchor, I should say, that offensive line against Houston.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: So if I'm worried about one of the injuries that the Bills are dealing with, and there there are many, it's it's Keon Coleman's still in a walking boot.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: Skyler Bell is still off to the side working with athletic trainers.
13:18
SPEAKER_00: Heck, at the wide receiver position, Dante Pettis, who just caught a deep ball from Josh Allen in the open practice the other day, he's now being held out of practice.
13:27
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned McGovern, running back Ty Johnson, another one I have some concern with, although he was seen at practice today.
13:33
SPEAKER_00: So maybe slowly making his way back.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: And given his position, maybe they're being a little bit more conservative with it.
13:41
SPEAKER_00: And I think he has some injury history with his hamstring as well.
13:45
SPEAKER_00: So uh maybe taking it a little bit slowly with Ty Johnson.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: But you have DJ Moore, who's still a little banged up, but he did participate in team drills, so that is a very, very good sign.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, there's a number of players who are injured up and down this roster, and Connor McGovern is probably the one that I'm concerned with most.
14:08
SPEAKER_00: And you look at two other veterans that were out of practice today, who were originally believed to have been dealing with some veteran rest days and kind of enjoying some time off, Khalil Shakir and Ed Oliver, both out of practice today.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: Joe Brady asked about it, and he indeed confirms that they're dealing with injury-related issues.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: So the Bills top wide receiver from a year ago and their top defensive lineman who dealt with a number of injuries last year, already dealing with another one this year.
14:44
SPEAKER_00: Not a good sign.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: Shakir's not totally he hasn't been absolved of injuries throughout his career.
14:56
SPEAKER_00: He has dealt with some bumps and bruises.
14:58
SPEAKER_00: I believe he had a medical procedure this offseason.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: I think there were pictures circulating on his social media.
15:05
SPEAKER_00: So these are two players who have dealt with injury in the past, dealing with it once again.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: And like I mentioned on previous podcasts and even today, the Bills are being conservative.
15:17
SPEAKER_00: They are bringing load management and trying to nip these injuries in the bud to the forefront.
15:23
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, they're piling up just like they have in years past.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: CJ Gardner Johnson, I mentioned, is still out, likely until the regular season.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: He was mixing it up with some Browns players, uh, per reports from Ohio today during the joint practice.
15:41
SPEAKER_00: There were a couple brief scuffles.
15:42
SPEAKER_00: CJ Gardner Johnson was kind of in there jawing at some Browns players, but he's still out.
15:48
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned Jalen Kilgore, and that just leads me to the question.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: We heard the report this offseason, and you have to consider the source on these things, but we heard the report this offseason that the injuries that the Dell the Bills dealt with during preseasons past were Sean McDermott's fault.
16:12
SPEAKER_00: Whether it be too much physicality during practice, not enough time off, not enough continuity and alignment, as Brandon Bean would like to say.
16:23
SPEAKER_00: Oh my God, how I was so sick of hearing that in the press conference this offseason.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: But how McDermott and the strength and conditioning staff and the training staff may not have been aligned.
16:34
SPEAKER_00: And there were some times where McDermott would come out to his press conference, he would announce some injuries, and then you'd get out to the practice field, and they'd be different than what he announced.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: And that did kind of show some lack of alignment.
16:47
SPEAKER_00: But what that report seemed to do, or what it was aimed at, was placing all the blame for those injuries on Sean McDermott and his previous methods when he was the Buffalo Bills head coach and trying to get his team ready to play early in the regular season.
17:07
SPEAKER_00: And you've seen Joe Brady go completely the opposite way with that, kind of abbreviating sessions as often as he can, lessening the contact and physicality, I would say, on a practice-to-practice basis, as far as the ones that I've attended, and keeping these players out, much like they did under Sean McDermott.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: So all of this is to say, is this real, was this all really Sean McDermott's fault?
17:35
SPEAKER_00: Or as the fan base has brought up, now I'm asking this question is there something within the methodology?
17:45
SPEAKER_00: I think I used that word before, that the strength and conditioning staff or the athletic training staff are using that is ineffective with some of these knick-knack injuries that keep these players off the field.
18:00
SPEAKER_00: It remains to be seen if the extent of these injuries are long term.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: The nature, heck, the nature of most of these injuries have yet to be determined because Joe Brady has kept everybody in the dark throughout the past few weeks.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: So not going to hit the panic button quite yet on any of these guys, but I am going to bring into question that report that everything was Sean McDermott's fault when it came to the Bills' injuries and the lack of alignment with him and the strength and conditioning staff and the athletic training staff was really the root of the issue.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: I think there's luck involved.
18:41
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned the other factors that could be at play.
18:45
SPEAKER_00: But that among many things, just everything seemed to be piled at Sean McDermott's doorstep this offseason.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: And I found it to be completely ridiculous.
18:57
SPEAKER_00: Thought it was the right time to move on for McDermott, but do we have to kick his ass on the way out the door and and and put everything at his feet?
19:05
SPEAKER_00: No.
19:07
SPEAKER_00: And I think you're seeing now that some of these players that have been banged up in past years at Oliver are missing time once again, Maxwell Harrison.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: So let's wait to see how significant these injuries are.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: But let's stop blaming Sean McDermott.
19:30
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
19:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying anyone's continuing to do it today, but I think we can reflect on that as pretty much pure BS at this point.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: All right.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: Other updates from today's joint practice between the Bills and Browns.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: I've been tooting this guy's horn all offseason.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: I've gone as far as to say that the Bills should consider trading Ray Davis now with Ty Johnson injured.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you rethink things and maybe you cut bait on Johnson and Ian Wheeler, who I'm about to discuss, makes the roster.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: But Wheeler has been absolutely eye-popping.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: He's been impossible to miss when you attend Bill's practice.
20:17
SPEAKER_00: His speed, his physicality.
20:19
SPEAKER_00: And today you saw it on full display.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: Josh Allen called him a low runner with a low center of gravity.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: A huge hit during Brown's practice, Bills Brown's practice, lowering the shoulder, laying the boom on a Browns defender.
20:34
SPEAKER_00: You can see that I linked to Jonathan Acosta's video on my social media page on a post that I had about Ian Wheeler.
20:43
SPEAKER_00: If he can add the physicality to his game, I've already seen the speed throughout preseason and commented on that.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: But today you saw him add the physicality, and my oh my was it impressive from Ian Wheeler.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: I think he's trending toward running back three territory, at least worthy of that role.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if he'll get there for the Bills because they have a great running back room with Davis, Johnson, and of course James Cook, who had a couple of big runs today during the joint practice.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: But nonetheless, the Bills need to think about what to do with Ian Wheeler and their running back room because Wheeler is really making it an interesting decision, especially after that run today.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: That was a big, big hit delivered by the former UFL running back.
21:31
SPEAKER_00: Now, a question from TJ C.
21:34
SPEAKER_00: Do you think if the Bills go 10 and 7 and miss the playoffs, Bean is fired?
21:40
SPEAKER_00: To be quite honest with you, I thought he was going to get fired after the end of last season.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: But based on hearing Terry Pugula discuss it, and based on how the team has kind of conducted itself throughout this offseason and made Brandon Bean the president of football operation.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: You got to remember, they didn't just not fire him, they promoted him.
22:03
SPEAKER_00: So, really reinforcing that Bean is not the problem.
22:08
SPEAKER_00: So, we've all seen Terry Bagula and how stubborn he can be with general managers.
22:15
SPEAKER_00: Kevin Adams, uh, Sabres, Kevin Adams.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: So I'm not so sure Brandon Bean will get fired.
22:23
SPEAKER_00: Should he get fired if they go 10 and 7 and miss the playoffs?
22:27
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
22:29
SPEAKER_00: Will he?
22:30
SPEAKER_00: That's an entire, entirely different uh question, I should say.
22:37
SPEAKER_00: Entirely different question.
22:40
SPEAKER_00: So I mentioned Maxwell Harrison earlier when it came to the cornerback position, and he he showed flashes last year.
22:50
SPEAKER_00: He starts out the season injured, comes back, gets a couple of interceptions, has some big pass breakups, some nice plays, but also gets beat as well.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: He lacks the physicality to really man up and jam a receiver at the line, can match you step for step, but will he be the player that suits this new Jim Leonard aggressive defense?
23:11
SPEAKER_00: I'm not so sure.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: Uh will it be Davison Igbenosin?
23:15
SPEAKER_00: I think he's too raw at this point.
23:17
SPEAKER_00: But Harrison did have a nice play during the joint practice.
23:21
SPEAKER_00: Uh, it was since posted on the Bills social media page, jumping up to knock a pass away from an intended target, a Browns receiver.
23:31
SPEAKER_00: And then you saw IGB have a really good open practice on August 18th, a couple of days ago, having a number of pass breakups that I posted on my social media page.
23:42
SPEAKER_00: So that competition, I think, is raging.
23:44
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be Harrison to start the season, but I think as the season goes, there's going to be some jockeying for snaps there.
23:51
SPEAKER_00: There might be a rotation.
23:53
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned Tradavius White.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: Do they bring him back?
23:55
SPEAKER_00: Somebody else we'll see.
23:59
SPEAKER_00: But I'm kind of concerned about cornerback.
24:01
SPEAKER_00: Another question here.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: This one from Slim Nady.
24:05
SPEAKER_00: Any real sign of Terrell Bernard returning to his old form?
24:10
SPEAKER_00: He had a nice play during the preseason game, I believe the pass breakup.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: I haven't seen a whole lot from Terrell Bernard this offseason.
24:21
SPEAKER_00: He might be in a different role this year.
24:24
SPEAKER_00: There's uncertainty whether he'll be the green dot guy calling the defense, whether that will be Caleb Elarms or perhaps even Dorian Williams.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: They'll keep Terrell Bernard more in a roving position, blitzer, and using him in different ways to kind of accentuate his skill set.
24:43
SPEAKER_00: That remains to be seen.
24:44
SPEAKER_00: But I I haven't seen true flashes from Terrell Bernard.
24:48
SPEAKER_00: And if the Bills are relying on Terrell Bernard to pace their defense this year, they're in trouble.
24:53
SPEAKER_00: I don't think he can be relied upon in terms of his durability.
24:56
SPEAKER_00: He's proved that the past few years.
24:59
SPEAKER_00: And in terms of his effectiveness and production, what are you expecting from Terrell Bernard this year?
25:08
SPEAKER_00: I think replacement level play, if you can get barely above replacement level play from Terrell Bernard, that will be considered a success.
25:17
SPEAKER_00: I think he had a good start to his career, but an undersized player like that, kind of out of his realm and uh just in a role that's too big for his britches.
25:29
SPEAKER_00: So I'm not expecting much from Terrell Bernard.
25:32
SPEAKER_00: And no, I have not seen much from the Bills linebacker throughout this entire offseason.
25:40
SPEAKER_00: A few more notes on the joint practice really stemmed from Joe Brady's press conference as he mentioned that the Bills starters are unlikely to play against the Cleveland Browns.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: At least he didn't say that in so many words, but he mentioned if they get good reps in the joint practice, he mentioned how starters should get about 40 to 50 reps in the joint practice.
26:04
SPEAKER_00: And if it was good work, that would be enough and he'd be satisfied.
26:10
SPEAKER_00: And from all accounts, it was a good practice.
26:14
SPEAKER_00: So not necessarily expecting the starters to play this weekend, but that doesn't mean there's not something to watch when the Bills and Browns take the field in Cleveland.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of position battles yet to be won.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: And I say no starters will play.
26:31
SPEAKER_00: You might see Alec Anderson, Austin Corbett still competing out there, maybe even Dorian Williams, Caleb E.
26:37
SPEAKER_00: Larms or you could see that.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: Maxwell Harrison now healthy enough to play.
26:43
SPEAKER_00: He does need the reps still at this stage of his career.
26:47
SPEAKER_00: So remains to be seen who won't play, who will play, but I would not expect the vast majority of the Bill starters to play in this game preseason matchup, that is, against the Cleveland Browns.
27:03
SPEAKER_00: Brady also touched on the Bills' new defensive tackle, nose tackle, Greg Gaines.
27:09
SPEAKER_00: He's not Vita Vea.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: We all wanted Brandon Bean finally to pull the trigger on Vita Vea.
27:15
SPEAKER_00: Well, we we we didn't get the pipe dream as it was proven to be a one-year extension,$30 million for Vita Vea next year, a$6 million boost on his contract in 2026.
27:29
SPEAKER_00: Maybe not much of a chance at the end of the day.
27:32
SPEAKER_00: I am kind of getting sick and tired of Brandon Bean always sticking his nose out there with these insiders saying, oh, we we called about it.
27:40
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure that what's happening there is the insiders are asking Brandon Bean and company, or uh in in this case, perhaps the we'll just say Brandon Bean, and he's replying and saying that, oh yeah, we we reached out and yada y.
27:59
SPEAKER_00: Whereas I think a lot of these GMs are being more honest and saying, yeah, we got no chance at this guy.
28:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh whereas Bean always wants to be mentioned, always wants the Bills to be mentioned.
28:09
SPEAKER_00: Well, you lead your T your fans on long enough.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: It's just like enough is enough.
28:15
SPEAKER_00: And it's just it's beating a dead horse at this point with all of the trades and all of the signings and this, that, and the other thing that the Bills have been involved in over the years.
28:26
SPEAKER_00: It's just it's really, really nauseating to hear.
28:30
SPEAKER_00: As we have Sean mentioning Bean is Mr.
28:33
SPEAKER_00: Checked In, and uh somebody made an AI creation of like Checked In Man or something, a Superman mock-up of Brandon Bean.
28:42
SPEAKER_00: That was also hilarious in my mentions.
28:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but it's it's just become so ridiculous with how many trades, and I mentioned the signings and everything the Bills are in on, and and at the end of the day, proven not to be in on because they never end up getting any of these guys.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: So enough's enough with Brandon Bean and that stuff.
29:05
SPEAKER_00: But Greg Gaines, seven-year veteran, six foot-one, 312 pounds, three sacks, five tackles for loss, 40 tackles over the last two years for, I believe both years for the Buccaneers.
29:19
SPEAKER_00: He's a former Super Bowl champ with the Los Angeles Rams, played with Michael Hoyt with the Rams, so some familiarity there.
29:27
SPEAKER_00: Look, this guy is not going to come in and be the second coming of Ted Washington, uh, Pat Williams, or anything like that.
29:36
SPEAKER_00: So temper your expectations for Greg Gaines.
29:38
SPEAKER_00: But when you look at the state of the Bills' defensive tackle position, namely the nose tackle position beyond Deion Walker, who we'll touch on later, Dwayne Carter is not the guy.
29:49
SPEAKER_00: And Federian Mathis is now suspended for the first three games of the season for the substance abuse policy.
29:57
SPEAKER_00: So you have to bring in some depth here.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: Greg Gaines, I was writing about this throughout the offseason, how the Bills should test the waters with Greg Gaines, and they do so here with plenty of time left in the preseason and training camp.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: This isn't a guarantee that he'll make the roster, but I think it's better what the Bills than what the Bills have on their roster.
30:18
SPEAKER_00: I think he's better than Dwayne Carter.
30:20
SPEAKER_00: He's better than obviously Tommy and King Bisotti, who they released, and probably right there with Zion Logue, who we might be competing with now for that depth role, now that Federian Mathis is out of the mix.
30:33
SPEAKER_00: I just don't think Dwayne Carter is long for a Bills uniform.
30:37
SPEAKER_00: I think he's going to be released at some point this year.
30:39
SPEAKER_00: Whether he comes back on the practice squad remains to be seen.
30:43
SPEAKER_00: I can't imagine he has much trade value at this point.
30:47
SPEAKER_00: What is he showing at this point of his career?
30:49
SPEAKER_00: And he's an undersized defensive tackle who just added 30 pounds trying to play nose tackle.
30:54
SPEAKER_00: So I don't think Dwayne Carter's the guy and uh kind of worried about the Bills' defensive line depth at this point.
31:01
SPEAKER_00: TJ Sanders didn't play until the second half of the preseason game against the Panthers.
31:06
SPEAKER_00: Not sure if that was, uh, as some have mentioned, discipline from Joe Brady, uh, but an interesting decision not to play your second-year defensive tackle who needs the reps in the preseason in a game where he could have gotten plenty of those against the Panthers.
31:24
SPEAKER_00: So uh we'll see what remains to be seen from TJ Sanders.
31:27
SPEAKER_00: But at the nose tackle position beyond Deion Walker, I do not see much for the Bills.
31:33
SPEAKER_00: Now, little Dallas Cowboy says here, would y'all trade me Dak for Allen?
31:37
SPEAKER_00: Hell no, little Dallas Cowboy.
31:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm critical of Allen at times, but I still think he's the best quarterback in the NFL.
31:45
SPEAKER_00: And you got a good one in Dak Prescott down there.
31:48
SPEAKER_00: I I think he's very underrated.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: I think on a better team that's uh more well managed with a better head coach.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: I I don't hate uh who is it down there?
32:04
SPEAKER_00: I forget, I forget the last I was gonna say Callahan, but he was in Tennessee last year.
32:09
SPEAKER_00: He's another guy whose father used to coach in the NFL Schottenheimer.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
32:17
SPEAKER_00: Shoddy is uh Dallas Cowboy reminds me.
32:20
SPEAKER_00: So uh if Dak were in a better situation down there in Dallas, I think he'd be a top 10 quarterback.
32:26
SPEAKER_00: I really do.
32:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm high on Dak Prescott, and uh I'm not one of these Bills fans who resent the Cowboys from uh the losses back in the day.
32:36
SPEAKER_00: I I always kind of pull for the Cowboys.
32:40
SPEAKER_00: I think they're this uh kicked around team.
32:43
SPEAKER_00: They're they're kind of the underdog at this point.
32:45
SPEAKER_00: They've sucked for so long and been without a Super Bowl, they're almost the underdog at this point, and sometimes I end up rooting for those teams uh during the course of the season.
32:54
SPEAKER_00: But a little bit more from Joe Brady.
32:57
SPEAKER_00: The punt returner position, Ray Davis had a punt return during the Bills' win over the Panthers in the preseason.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: And Brady said that Davis, quote, wants the role and will quote be in the mix, obviously, along with McCole Hardman, who has been competing for that job as well.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: That's another way Davis could add to his value.
33:20
SPEAKER_00: He mentioned this offseason how he wants more touches in the offense.
33:24
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if they're gonna be there with James Cook trying to up his value as he looks probably for a new contract coming soon with the running back market resetting.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: And if Ty Johnson can get healthy, the Bills continuing to use him.
33:36
SPEAKER_00: I'm not so sure there's much room for Ray Davis to get a large percentage of the workload in the backfield.
33:44
SPEAKER_00: So another way you can get him as involved is in that punt return game, and we'll see if he can latch on.
33:51
SPEAKER_00: I did see just what it was it was a singular rep.
33:55
SPEAKER_00: So don't read too much, take this with a grain of salt, but it was a singular rep during the open practice.
34:01
SPEAKER_00: Saw him uh receive a punt and he bobbled a little a little bit.
34:05
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and that happens even with Khalil Shakir and other good punt returners.
34:09
SPEAKER_00: But the way that I judged it was he was a little bit uncomfortable with the with the uh ball coming in.
34:16
SPEAKER_00: So I think he may still be learning the position and getting a feel for it, but uh he certainly had a knack at the kick return position last year, and maybe he can, as I mentioned, carry that over to punt returns this season.
34:31
SPEAKER_00: And finally, no clarity on the fullback position.
34:35
SPEAKER_00: Brady mentioned that the Bills are still evaluating that role and whether or not that's something that they'll have on the roster.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: Reggie Gilliam was a fan favorite, a big uh role for the Bills in terms of the the tush push and on special teams as well.
34:52
SPEAKER_00: And Ben Van Sumeran is the last man standing in that competition for the fullback role, but still no guarantee that the Bills will keep a fullback when it's all said and done on CutDown Day.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: All right, we pause for a moment.
35:06
SPEAKER_00: Please like, share, rate, and subscribe to the podcast.
35:09
SPEAKER_00: Also, leave a comment, as if you have already on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.
35:18
SPEAKER_00: We appreciate all the comments so far.
35:21
SPEAKER_00: Keeps the show a little bit more alive.
35:24
SPEAKER_00: We have another one here on TJCF2R.
35:32
SPEAKER_00: Is there any data available for teams that trade players the least feel like the bills would be at the top of the list?
35:37
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it has to do with the consistent cap overage.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I'm sure they're hamstrung a bit in terms of these big blockbuster trades.
35:45
SPEAKER_00: That the bills uh are for that matter.
35:48
SPEAKER_00: But additionally, you don't see teams really going all out on the trade market in the NFL.
35:56
SPEAKER_00: You do see trades here and there, but it's not a league like the NBA where it's the wild, wild west and you're seeing trades every week.
36:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I think when they happen, they're big news because they are kind of like a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse, whichever one comes less often.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, I I don't have any data on that, but I would say the Bills are probably somewhere in the bottom half of the league, but maybe not near the bottom.
36:24
SPEAKER_00: You have seen them make some deals here and there, and really what they do is is they rely on that free agent market to try to get some good value on players, and that's really Brandon Bean's MO, even with draft develop resign, as we've heard is his MO from so many in the past.
36:43
SPEAKER_00: But before we move forward, let's just take one more quick look back at the Bills' first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, a win for the Bills.
36:53
SPEAKER_00: And it was first time it was the first time that Joe Brady served as head coach during a game situation for the Bills, and he mentioned how there really wasn't any time he felt uncomfortable, got through some unfamiliar moments with the challenge and this, that, the other thing.
37:10
SPEAKER_00: But he's not going to be tested until the regular season rolls around.
37:14
SPEAKER_00: You you're not under the gun, you're not spread as thinly, thinly, as thin as you are during the regular season.
37:23
SPEAKER_00: Uh during you're not spread as thin during the regular season as you are during the preseason.
37:31
SPEAKER_00: Reverse that.
37:32
SPEAKER_00: You aren't spread as thin during the preseason as you are during the regular season.
37:38
SPEAKER_00: Listen, talking is tough.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: I can't even walk and chew gum at the same time sometimes.
37:44
SPEAKER_00: So not spread as thin during the preseason as the regular season.
37:49
SPEAKER_00: And I think the true test for Joe Brady will come once that regular season slate rolls around.
37:56
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned that tough test with the Houston Texans right off the get-go.
38:00
SPEAKER_00: And then you have the Detroit Lions in week two, the home opener.
38:03
SPEAKER_00: A lot of pressure on Joe Brady right away.
38:06
SPEAKER_00: We've talked about it a number of times on the podcast on previous episodes, but that is going to be interesting to watch.
38:13
SPEAKER_00: Joe Brady on the field with the headset on for the first time as head coach come week one against the Houston Texans.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: Against the Panthers, the Bills offense, two drives resulting in points to starters, that is, uh, Josh Allen to DJ Moore, three receptions, 61 yards.
38:31
SPEAKER_00: And I've been mentioning it on Twitter.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: I think I've mentioned it on the podcast before.
38:37
SPEAKER_00: I'm getting very, very close to admitting that I was wrong on DJ Moore.
38:42
SPEAKER_00: I'm like holding on for dear life that I might not have to fully eat my words, but his explosiveness, I think I said it before, his ability to get open down the field, it just stands out every time he's out there.
38:56
SPEAKER_00: He he's got springs on his feet.
38:58
SPEAKER_00: He can go up and get it.
39:00
SPEAKER_00: He's quick enough to separate from defenders.
39:03
SPEAKER_00: He's really got a lot of the traits that the Bills have not had in these past few years.
39:09
SPEAKER_00: So I'll have an article coming out of my Substack.
39:12
SPEAKER_00: The things I was wrong on to begin Bills training camp, and really one that stands out is DJ Moore.
39:18
SPEAKER_00: I did not think he was going to be as big of a difference maker as he's proven to be for the Bills offense, albeit in the very, very early going.
39:28
SPEAKER_00: It's still training camp and the preseason.
39:31
SPEAKER_00: We have to see him during the regular season once the real bullets start flying.
39:35
SPEAKER_00: But I can only judge it based on what I've seen with my eyes.
39:39
SPEAKER_00: And DJ Moore is Brennan Ben impressive as hell.
39:43
SPEAKER_00: Now, Keon Coleman found the end zone in that Panthers game.
39:46
SPEAKER_00: He's still in that walking boot, though, as many of you, I'm sure, have read and seen on social media.
39:52
SPEAKER_00: He was seen at the Erie County Fair, though, in that walking boot.
39:56
SPEAKER_00: So I don't think there's a whole lot of concern with Keon Coleman.
39:59
SPEAKER_00: I think that's more of a maintenance thing than anything, just trying to keep the load off that injured foot and make sure that he's ready to go for the regular season.
40:08
SPEAKER_00: Another takeaway from the Panthers game, Khalil Shakir deep down the field.
40:13
SPEAKER_00: It continues to come alive throughout this Bill's preseason.
40:16
SPEAKER_00: And if he can open it up and not just be the Yak guy that catch it at the line of scrimmage and go, if he can catch it 10, 15, 20 yards down the field, that gives the Bills another threat in their passing game, more diversity, more weapons for Josh Allen at his disposal.
40:31
SPEAKER_00: It's only going to improve things moving forward.
40:34
SPEAKER_00: James Cook got involved on the action.
40:37
SPEAKER_00: I think he averaged over four yards a carry against the Panthers.
40:40
SPEAKER_00: And it hasn't been some sort of exceptional preseason or training camp from James Cook, but it's tough to judge the running game, I think, early on, because pads aren't there.
40:50
SPEAKER_00: They're not allowing the fullest of contact in practices.
40:54
SPEAKER_00: So uh once James Cook gets into the regular season, I think you'll start to see that rushing champion level abilities start to come alive on a regular basis.
41:05
SPEAKER_00: And finally, the first time for Jim Leonard calling the defense against the Panthers, three straight three and outs with the starters.
41:12
SPEAKER_00: And Deion Walker was the big star in that game.
41:18
SPEAKER_00: A sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback pressure for Deion Walker.
41:23
SPEAKER_00: And with the Bills lacking that depth at defensive tackle, you need this second-year player to come in and take that massive leap in year two.
41:32
SPEAKER_00: And Deion Walker not only looks confident out there, particularly against the Panthers, but in previous practices as well, he sounds confident.
41:42
SPEAKER_00: When you hear him at the microphone, it's night and day from what we heard from him in year one.
41:48
SPEAKER_00: And this is a player who's starting to mature, as Joe Brady mentioned during his time at the microphone recently, and a player who's starting to come into his body as well.
41:58
SPEAKER_00: I think that back injury he's sustained at the University of Kentucky may have caused him to add a little bit of extra weight and carry a little bit of extra weight into his NFL career.
42:10
SPEAKER_00: But now having a good plan with the structure of that an NFL organization provides and losing a little bit of weight entering this season, you saw him move around out there on some of the all 22 clips that have been posted, and you can find on uh by subscribing to NFL Pro.
42:31
SPEAKER_00: He's got a little bit of bounce in his step this year that I don't think he had last year.
42:36
SPEAKER_00: So if he can add that with everything else that he has to offer, I think Deion Walker could really be that big-time player that the Bills have been looking for at the center of their defensive line.
42:47
SPEAKER_00: Not to mention what Ed Oliver offered in Spurts last year.
42:51
SPEAKER_00: He's just got to get healthy.
42:54
SPEAKER_00: Oh, elsewhere on the defensive line, TJ Sanders, I mentioned, didn't play.
42:57
SPEAKER_00: TJ Parker, I don't know why I said Parker, TJ Parker with a sack, Mike Dana with two sacks.
43:05
SPEAKER_00: So I I've always thought it's Mike Dana or Javon Solomon for a roster spot.
43:10
SPEAKER_00: And Dana, albeit against the second and third team late in that game against the Panthers team, who's not one of the best in the league, he comes through with two sacks.
43:19
SPEAKER_00: Solomon hasn't been a complete ghost this preseason in training camp, but I also haven't seen him pop that much.
43:26
SPEAKER_00: So interested to see if that's an ongoing competition and whether it will come down to the wire or if Mike Dana is already on his way out and Solomon, they're going to keep their former draft pick around.
43:39
SPEAKER_00: In the secondary, Kineye Walker, he had an interception against the Panthers, some tough moments during the joint practice against the Cleveland Browns.
43:47
SPEAKER_00: Some up and downs are expected for the undrafted free agent, but there has been so much more good than bad with Kenai Walker.
43:55
SPEAKER_00: And I think he's almost a shoe in to make the team, especially if the Bills don't add any veteran health.
44:00
SPEAKER_00: At the cornerback position before the season starts.
44:04
SPEAKER_00: One negative moment, a few negative moments, I should say, during the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
44:10
SPEAKER_00: The offensive line struggled.
44:11
SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's any uh mystery or question about that.
44:15
SPEAKER_00: Josh Allen was under duress during his time on the field.
44:18
SPEAKER_00: That was a concern.
44:19
SPEAKER_00: Spencer Brown got beaten a couple of times by Jalen Phillips and Deion Dawkins false start, and there were a few other concerns as well.
44:27
SPEAKER_00: This is an offensive line in transition.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: You have a new left left guard, and with Conor McGovern out, you have Lloyd Cushenberry in there.
44:36
SPEAKER_00: So that makes it a little bit tough to judge, but at the same time, you can't bank on this group being as healthy as it's been over the past several years.
44:44
SPEAKER_00: They may have to kind of piece it together this year with their depth.
44:48
SPEAKER_00: And it's going to have to prove itself as time goes on.
44:51
SPEAKER_00: Jude Bowery started to impress me as training camp went on.
44:55
SPEAKER_00: I don't think he got all that rave reviews from his performance during the preseason game against the Panthers.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: So a little bit to work on for the Bills rookie, a lot to work on for the Bills offensive line as a whole.
45:06
SPEAKER_00: And speaking of a lot to work on, Tyler Bass, I've mentioned my uncertainty with him before.
45:12
SPEAKER_00: He misses from 45 yards against the Panthers, two misses from inside 40 yards against the Browns in the joint practice.
45:21
SPEAKER_00: The Bills have to find some competition for him before it's too late.
45:25
SPEAKER_00: You're going to enter the regular season with a kicker who is clearly not confident in his ability or just bereft of talent at the position.
45:34
SPEAKER_00: And it's going to come back to haunt you sooner rather than later.
45:38
SPEAKER_00: And if you let it snowball all the way to the end of the season and into the playoffs, it could cost you a chance at the AFC championship game or the Super Bowl.
45:47
SPEAKER_00: So I am anything but confident in Tyler Bass.
45:53
SPEAKER_00: I think I'm ready to hit the panic button with the Bills kicker.
45:56
SPEAKER_00: Get some competition in here for him, or things are about to go south really, really quickly.
46:02
SPEAKER_00: One more concern from the game and the open practice for that matter.
46:07
SPEAKER_00: The Bills grass field.
46:08
SPEAKER_00: There have been some divots, some bald spots.
46:12
SPEAKER_00: I can only imagine what it's going to look like in the winter or after a really, really rainy game.
46:19
SPEAKER_00: We saw it rain during the first open practice, and maybe that's what contributed to some of this that we're seeing.
46:28
SPEAKER_00: You saw a report from Tim Graham on the athletic.
46:31
SPEAKER_00: You've seen some other photos circulating out there.
46:34
SPEAKER_00: I tried to take some photos from the 300 level.
46:36
SPEAKER_00: I don't think mine that I posted did it much justice, but there are some areas that have started to come up and uh that they've had to patch already.
46:45
SPEAKER_00: And I can only imagine a long Western New York winter what it's going to do to that grass.
46:49
SPEAKER_00: They better hope that heating system is in full gear and really keeping things top-notch because I think we could be talking about midseason, the Bills needing to do something about their grass field.
47:01
SPEAKER_00: Now, long term, after it sets in, maybe it's fine.
47:05
SPEAKER_00: But in the short term, there are some concerns there that have been brought to light with the action that's taken place at the stadium over the last few weeks.
47:17
SPEAKER_00: All right, uh, at the final open practice, 41,000 people that was after the Bills were recently ranked number one in a fan poll or something to that effect.
47:28
SPEAKER_00: And some people said that it wasn't packed.
47:30
SPEAKER_00: A lot of the people were in the concourses, and uh, even when I took the photo that I posted on social media that made the rounds, not everyone had made their way into the stadium.
47:43
SPEAKER_00: I was kind of taking the photo preemptively, and then when I posted it, it it did get more packed in there.
47:48
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't the return of the blue and red, a Saturday night at uh 5 p.m., whatever it was.
47:55
SPEAKER_00: It was a Tuesday morning in the middle of the summer at 8:30 in the morning.
47:59
SPEAKER_00: 41,000 people unofficially or officially, based on the Bills count of that is, showed up.
48:05
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of people there.
48:07
SPEAKER_00: Great sign for Bill's mafia after all the heat that the stadium has taken over the past several weeks with the obstructed seating and everything.
48:16
SPEAKER_00: But Shaq Thompson and Daquan Jones visiting the Patriots.
48:21
SPEAKER_00: And this is after Mac Hollins went to the Patriots last year, which disappointed many fans, a fan favorite with the Bills previously.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: He kind of turns coat and goes, or is a turncoat.
48:33
SPEAKER_00: I don't really know what the saying is there, but he he becomes a trader, we'll say, and goes to the Patriots, and much to the chagrin of many Bills fans.
48:43
SPEAKER_00: And now it's Shaq Thompson and Daquan Jones weighing their options.
48:46
SPEAKER_00: I initially thought Thompson would be a good option for the Bills at the linebacker position, but after Caleb Elarm's Orr's emergence, I don't think there's any room for Shaq Thompson anymore unless an injury occurs at linebacker.
48:59
SPEAKER_00: And as far as Daquan Jones, don't even get me started.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: That guy totally washed up these past few years, doesn't offer much time to completely move on from Daquan Jones.
49:12
SPEAKER_00: And finally, one more note Texans wide receiver, Jaden Higgins sustained a season-ending ACL injury.
49:21
SPEAKER_00: I believe it was today.
49:23
SPEAKER_00: He's the team's wide receiver, too.
49:25
SPEAKER_00: He's was expected to break out in year two of his career, but now expected to be out for the entire season.
49:32
SPEAKER_00: So the Bills will miss Higgins during that week one matchup.
49:36
SPEAKER_00: And during their week two matchup, they're already going to miss one of the Lions offensive linemen who's also hurt for several weeks, if not months, if I'm not mistaken.
49:44
SPEAKER_00: So uh we'll see how the Bills' injuries work out, but they've already kind of been on the more favorable side of that, I guess, in the early going here, as two of their early opponents have already dealt with significant injuries.
50:02
SPEAKER_00: But before we get to some preseason football in about 10 minutes, we have, I believe it's the Raiders.
50:11
SPEAKER_00: I think it's uh Fernando Mendoza taking the field.
50:15
SPEAKER_00: At least he is at some point tonight.
50:18
SPEAKER_00: I think the Texans as well are playing tonight, so maybe you can get a look at some of the depth players on the Texans.
50:24
SPEAKER_00: I don't think they're playing the starters after Higgins went out earlier this week, so or today, whenever it was.
50:31
SPEAKER_00: But uh let's get to some hate mail as we do at the end of these episodes.
50:36
SPEAKER_00: I posted a video of the obstructed seats on my X account at Alex Brasky and various other forms of social media, but I usually take to X for the hate.
50:45
SPEAKER_00: That's where the most visceral hate comes from these days.
50:49
SPEAKER_00: And listen, the obstructed seats are a problem.
50:52
SPEAKER_00: If you don't think they're a problem, you got your head up your ass.
50:56
SPEAKER_00: I don't care if it's one, I don't care if it's ten, I don't care if it's a thousand people.
51:00
SPEAKER_00: If you're obstructed when you go to an NFL game and you're not expecting it, it's a problem.
51:06
SPEAKER_00: Now, they do have the virtual seating where you can go in and see where your seats are.
51:14
SPEAKER_00: But first of all, there's some people who aren't technologically savvy enough to figure those things out.
51:21
SPEAKER_00: So when they get to the game, they're still kind of surprised at the obstructed seats.
51:26
SPEAKER_00: Second of all, there have been season ticket holders that I know personally that I trust that have claimed that they were duped into purchasing obstructed view season tickets.
51:38
SPEAKER_00: And that is where the real problem is.
51:40
SPEAKER_00: I feel like Brian Winhorst.
51:42
SPEAKER_00: That's the real problem.
51:44
SPEAKER_00: If you're duped into forking over all that money for the PSLs and the season tickets, and you didn't know what you were getting into with the obstructed seats, that's a problem.
51:54
SPEAKER_00: And when the snow starts falling, the rain happens, and those glass partitions start getting cloudy, a lot of these complaints are going to be pretty valid.
52:05
SPEAKER_00: So I don't want to hear that the obstructed view is a non-issue.
52:11
SPEAKER_00: It's an issue.
52:12
SPEAKER_00: Is it the end of the world?
52:14
SPEAKER_00: No.
52:16
SPEAKER_00: But it's an issue.
52:18
SPEAKER_00: However, some people didn't take kindly to my critique.
52:22
SPEAKER_00: This from Tim, who considers himself the lord of journalism.
52:26
SPEAKER_00: We heard Jackson Haw is the Lord of Catan.
52:29
SPEAKER_00: Tim considers himself, I'm proclaiming this, the Lord of journalism.
52:33
SPEAKER_00: Quote: It appears someone is looking to gain followers andor make a name for himself.
52:38
SPEAKER_00: Real reporting can do that too.
52:41
SPEAKER_00: Sensationalism isn't a long-term path.
52:45
SPEAKER_00: Now, listen, where I come from, real reporting is going to the scene and showing the people what you see, telling the people what you see.
52:57
SPEAKER_00: And I did both.
52:59
SPEAKER_00: Provided a video, told people what I saw.
53:03
SPEAKER_00: If that's not real reporting, I don't know what is Walter Cronkite.
53:11
SPEAKER_00: But I digress.
53:13
SPEAKER_00: I literally posted a video from the seats.
53:16
SPEAKER_00: Not sure how that sensationalized, but clearly Tim knows a lot more than I do.
53:23
SPEAKER_00: This from John.
53:24
SPEAKER_00: Quote, have you spent money on an obstructed seat?
53:27
SPEAKER_00: No.
53:28
SPEAKER_00: Should you shut up?
53:29
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
53:32
SPEAKER_00: Make me, John.
53:33
SPEAKER_00: Make me shut up.
53:36
SPEAKER_00: Alright, this from Dennis.
53:38
SPEAKER_00: Quote, I mean, it's the shithole that is Buffalo.
53:41
SPEAKER_00: What else do they have to do?
53:43
SPEAKER_00: If this were the winter, I would wholeheartedly agree with you.
53:46
SPEAKER_00: But the one and a half month stretch of good weather is upon us, and we are living it up.
53:51
SPEAKER_00: Trust me.
53:56
SPEAKER_00: So let me ask you a question.
53:59
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm sorry.
54:02
SPEAKER_00: I I misread my notes.
54:04
SPEAKER_00: This came from a separate tweet.
54:06
SPEAKER_00: This came from the picture I posted of the 41,000 people at the Bills Open Practice, and I was celebrating the fan base, saying how great of a job, and I was getting so much shit about how I hate the fan base and hate the team and this, that, and the other thing.
54:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'd go out of my way to go to all these practices and stuff if I really hated the team, that's for sure.
54:29
SPEAKER_00: But again, Dennis calling Buffalo the shithole and saying that what else do people have to do?
54:42
SPEAKER_00: My response to him is I wrote in my notes if this were the winter, I would wholeheartedly agree with Dennis.
54:53
SPEAKER_00: But as I previously said, this is the one and a half month stretch of good weather that's upon us.
55:01
SPEAKER_00: And we are certainly living it up.
55:03
SPEAKER_00: You can trust me on that one.
55:05
SPEAKER_00: And finally, this a good one from Jesse.
55:10
SPEAKER_00: About the 41,000 people in attendance, normal people.
55:14
SPEAKER_00: I have work at 8.
55:16
SPEAKER_00: Bills fans.
55:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm waking up at 3 40 a.m.
55:20
SPEAKER_00: to tailgate on a Tuesday in August.
55:24
SPEAKER_00: Bills fans are the best.
55:25
SPEAKER_00: Only Bills fans, 3 40 a.m.
55:29
SPEAKER_00: Outside of that stadium.
55:30
SPEAKER_00: I'd hate to think how long that person had been awake.
55:34
SPEAKER_00: Some of the activities that they had been participating in, remember?
55:40
SPEAKER_00: Bars in Buffalo close at 4 a.m.
55:42
SPEAKER_00: So they could have wrote it right through the night.
55:49
SPEAKER_00: 3 40 a.m.
55:50
SPEAKER_00: tailgating on a Tuesday morning in August.
55:53
SPEAKER_00: Beautiful.
55:53
SPEAKER_00: Those fans are beauties.
55:56
SPEAKER_00: I have to separate my notes better.
56:03
SPEAKER_00: Don't read them like I did.
56:04
SPEAKER_00: Alright, that's gonna do it for tonight's show.
56:06
SPEAKER_00: Be sure to follow along and take in my takeaways, I'll say, throughout the rest of training camp at the preseason.
56:15
SPEAKER_00: I do my best to provide the breaking news that is worthy, weekly, sometimes daily podcasts for the rest of the season, and much, much more coverage coming on.
56:23
SPEAKER_00: Alex Brasky Unfiltered, really the daily stuff.
56:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm doing the shorts on YouTube, shorts on Instagram, shorts or whatever they are called on TikTok and also my X account.
56:35
SPEAKER_00: Also, please subscribe to YouTube and Substack, Alex Brasky and Alex Brasky Unfiltered.
56:43
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of good stuff coming down the way.
56:45
SPEAKER_00: Please give a like, share, and subscribe to the podcast, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.
56:53
SPEAKER_00: Give us a rate as well.
56:54
SPEAKER_00: Give us a five-star rating or whatever you think we deserve.
56:59
SPEAKER_00: If you think we deserve a zero, or just keep that to yourself.
57:19
SPEAKER_00: And as the season approaches, things are getting more and more real.
57:26
SPEAKER_00: But that's gonna do it.
57:28
SPEAKER_00: Thanks everyone for tuning in.
57:31
SPEAKER_00: Have a great night, everyone.
57:32
SPEAKER_00: Stay true.