Pollock: Buffalo Bills face busy five weeks

By CHUCK POLLOCK, Sun senior sports columnist

So there’s not much of a lull after the National Football League draft a weekend ago.

The next big event will likely be Thursday evening, when the 2024 schedule is announced. The NFL hasn’t made it official, but the story says the national television announcement will take place the second Thursday in May.

If you forgot the Bills’ opponents, here’s a reminder. There are the obligatory home-and-home games with division foes Miami, New England and the New York Jets.

The Cardinals, Chiefs, 49ers, Jaguars and Titans will also be at Highmark Stadium this season.

Non-division road games will be played in Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles (Rams) and Seattle.

THEN, NEXT FRIDAY, the Bills are holding their annual rookie minicamp.

Then, on consecutive Tuesdays – May 21, 28 and June 4 – Buffalo will conduct its non-mandatory Organized Team Activities (OTA).

Finally, from June 11 to 13, the obligatory minicamp will take place.

After that, the team is off until training camp opens in late July at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford.

AFTER THE PROJECT Bills general manager Brandon Beane explained that Buffalo will not reach the NFL’s 90-player limit.

Turns out he was right because as OTAs approach the current count is 87 and that doesn’t include safety Micah Hyde who hasn’t decided if he will retire, re-sign with the Bills or another team.

Aside from the team’s salary cap issues, Beane admitted the goal was to make the team younger since last season Buffalo had one of the oldest teams in the NFL in terms of average age.

Some of that was alleviated by the trade of receiver Stefon Diggs and the release of center Mitch Morse, defensive linemen Leonard Floyd and Jordan Phillips, safety Jordan Poyer and the presumed release of Hyde. This eliminated six players aged 30 and over.

Buffalo still has 11 players in this group, but other than tackle Dion Dawkins, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and edge rusher Von Miller, none are starters, the other eight are backups or special teams.

NEXT FRIDAY At rookie minicamp, the Bills will likely have 22 players, all 10 draft picks and a dozen undrafted free agents.

The other 65 players are veterans, including the returning eight they re-signed – Jones, edge rusher AJ Epenesa, safety Taylor Rapp, running back Ty Johnson, defensive back Cam Lewis, long snapper Reid Ferguson, tight end Quintin Morris and guard David Edwards. Buffalo also added eight veteran free agents: receivers Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, Mack Hollins and Quintez Cephus, linebacker Nick Morrow, center Will Clapp, edge rusher Casey Toohill and punter Matt Haack.

In total, the Bills lost 14 veterans. Diggs was traded to Houston and center/guard Ryan Bates was traded to Chicago. Center Mitch Morris and receiver Gabe Davis were both lost in free agency, both went to Jacksonville, linebacker Tyrel Dodson was signed by Seattle, edge rusher Leonard Floyd by San Francisco, safety Jordan Poyer and defensive back Siran Neal by Miami running back Nyheim. Hines of Cleveland and wide receiver Deonte Harty of Baltimore. Cornerback Tre’ Devious White will be released on June 1 and linebackers Tyler Matakevich and AJ Klein as well as Hyde remain unsigned.

Regardless, in the September opener, the Bills will have eight different starters from most games last year. Gone are Diggs, Davis, Morse, Floyd, Dodson, White, Poyer and Hyde.

(Chuck Pollock, senior sports columnist for the Wellsville Sun, can be reached at [email protected].)

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