The Buffalo Bills should have prepared to kick off the 2020 preseason with a game against the Baltimore Ravens last night. Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this game and the entire pre-season are canceled. We’ll have to wait until September 13 for the Bills to replay when they host the New York Jets for the regular season opener.
While the preseason often features players who are unlikely to make an NFL roster, exhibition football always brings some excitement. This is the first chance to see the squad in action again and the first time to rate some of the new players on the roster, even though that rating is incredibly limited.
We didn’t have a chance to watch Bills players last night, but there are quite a few that we would have liked to see in red, white and blue. Here are five names we would have focused on if the game went as planned.
Buffalo’s most recent field addition to Devin Singletary would have made his pro debut on Friday, and it would have been a great time to watch the fast and violent runner against other pros. Moss might be the “complementary” back, but he has starter potential, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up with a few games this year where he has more touches than Singletary. Buffalo has a big problem on offense this year as they have almost too many mouths to feed for the first time in nearly 30 years. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will have the chance to place the ball in the hands of many talented playmakers, and Moss is the one to have a huge impact on this season.
Sure, he probably would have played a series or two at most, but it’s like Christmas morning with the kids: whenever you have a new toy you want to play with it. at once. Diggs adds an element to Buffalo’s offense that has been missing for years as they finally have a star receiver who can beat the top corners on his own. It’s not a hit against John Brown, who showed he was able to beat players like Stephon Gilmore at times last season, but Diggs is a higher level player who gives quarterback Josh Allen a still player. open, even when covered.
“Insert wide bangs here”
It’s a cheap way to talk about a whole slew of players, but the receiving group is as deep as any in the league, and I could legitimately argue for nine of the ten outgoing roster for make the final team (my apologies to Nick Easley). Has Robert Foster finally understood his consistency problems? And Duke Williams? Can Isaiah McKenzie produce value as a Returning Man, or will he continue to contribute to cardiac incidents all over western New York? Are Gabriel Davis and Isaiah Hodgins really so advanced in their knowledge of the playbook that they could help the veterans line up ahead of the snap? It’s a shame that we can’t watch this group against other teams this summer.
Buffalo’s top pick has size, strength, versatility, and a soft beard. All of these things are a clear sign that he is becoming a star at the pro level, but it’s his versatility that is really intriguing. Would he have remained at the defensive end only in his early days? How would the rest of the defensive line have turned? Players like Trent Murphy and Darryl Johnson are definitely affected by Epenesa’s presence so if the rookie comes out and dominates it could change the coaches’ decisions. Alas, we won’t have the chance to find out except in the practice reports.
A bettor? I wanted to watch a bettor? Walter White knows how I feel. Corey Bojorquez was below par in 2019 and some competition is good. Bojorquez is not the only specialist involved in a battle (Tyler Bass is going to give Stephen Hauschka a run for his money), and although he is “just a bettor”, this position needs to be improved. If Vedvik is the guy, it would make Buffalo’s roster moves easier in September, as the team could focus on cleaning up the wire for other positions instead. If Vedvik isn’t the guy then Bills need to move on and find the one who is, because Bojorquez has proven by his inconsistency that he shouldn’t stay. Bass is another player we would have really liked to see.
This is what we wanted to monitor last night – which positional groups would have been your focal points?
