5 TAKEAWAYS from end of BUFFALO BILLS camp and Stef Diggs gets SPICY

Summary

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Buffalo Plus Podcast: 5 Takeaways from the End of Buffalo Bills Camp & Stef Diggs Gets Spicy

Date: August 10, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana & Jenna Cottrell (Dan Fetes on paternity leave)
Podcast: Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills Podcast

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Episode Overview

This episode recaps the final day of the Buffalo Bills' 2023 training camp at St. John Fisher University, highlighting key incidents, standout performances, and the hosts' five major takeaways. The show gives listeners exclusive insight into player dynamics (especially the fiery Stefan Diggs), position battles, and the evolving chemistry of the team. The hosts contrast this year's camp with last season’s and discuss expectations for the upcoming preseason and regular season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. End-of-Camp Drama: The Diggs–Elam “Spicy” Incident

• Stefon Diggs Injury Scare & Skirmish (00:41–03:16)
  • Stefon Diggs left practice momentarily after an aggressive rep with CB Kaiir Elam, appearing in pain and attended by trainers.
  • Diggs confirmed he was fine when leaving, but tension flared between him and Elam over Elam’s physical play.
  • The next rep: Elam’s physical coverage against Trent Sherfield drew words from OC Ken Dorsey and further jawing with Diggs.
  • Quote:
    "Elam, pardon me, pisses people off when he plays. He just does. And one of those people is Diggs." — Mike (02:22)
  • The altercation wasn’t a fight, but a notably fiery, "spirited" exchange, with both offense and defense getting involved.
  • End-of-camp tensions led to more skirmishes, including a minor fight involving Tommy Doyle.

2. LB Battle: Dodson vs. Bernard

• Middle Linebacker Competition (05:34–07:54)
  • Terrell Bernard left early with trainers but was later seen on the field, seeming OK.
  • The battle for MLB remains unsettled ("one has a good day, the other has a better day").
  • Tyrell Dodson exhibits visible leadership, always first in line, with a starter’s demeanor.
  • Quote:
    "Tyrell Dodson looks like a starter. I would agree." — Mike (07:54)
  • But hosts stress the decision isn’t final, and actual tape/performance will determine the starter.

3. Preseason Starters: Keep Allen & Diggs Out?

• Risk vs. Reward (08:05–09:29)
  • Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs won’t play Saturday; hosts agree they should sit out all preseason games to avoid injury.
  • Quote:
    "Put them in bubble wrap. Yeah, it’s fine. Everything will be fine. That’s how I feel about it." — Jenna (09:29)

4. Dalton Kincaid: A Breakout Camp

• Rookie Standout & the Offense’s Two Tight End Sets (09:44–20:11)
  • Kincaid consistently made plays, excelling at catching even off-tipped passes.
  • Hosts rave about his readiness and huge role in the offense, often drawing more targets than Dawson Knox.
  • Quote:
    "Dalton Kincaid does [carry himself like a starter]. I mean, he’s a rookie. He’s never played … he’s out there all the time." — Mike (19:08)
  • Knox had a quiet but solid camp; the Bills appear set to utilize two-tight end sets frequently.

5. Wide Receiver & Defensive Depth Impressions

• WR Room: Sherfield & Hardy Impress (20:11–22:10)
  • Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield are praised for reliability and offering a "change of pace."
  • The WR3 spot could be an X-factor.
  • Shakir described as “steady,” though hosts hope he’ll get more chances.
• EDGE/Defensive Line: Rousseau to Break Out (22:10–23:10); Epenesa’s Role (24:34–25:35)
  • Hosts have high expectations for Greg Rousseau, who’s entering year three with added physical and mental maturity.
  • Sean McDermott called A.J. Epenesa “a pivotal piece,” surprising the hosts and indicating a potential uptick in his role.

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Stefon Diggs’ Practice Antics (11:30):
  "Diggs is as popular a player as they have had with this franchise." — Mike
  Hosts discuss Diggs’ connection with fans and showmanship, highlighting his popularity.

• On the Difference from Last Year (16:13):
  "Last year, when the Bills were Super Bowl favorites, they kind of had that air of like, ‘our shit don’t stank’ … this felt like a little bit more like, no, we're here to work." — Jenna

• On the Energy of Camp (17:28):
  "Oddly, the fans were more excited this year than they were last year … a lot of energy in the place." — Mike

• Kincaid’s Ascendance (19:08):
  "Dalton Kincaid does carry himself like a starter … he’s out there all the time." — Mike

• On Benford at CB2 (25:37):
  "I think there’s still a chance Christian Benford could be starting at cornerback two in week one—for two years in a row." — Mike
  "He just has those instincts. Kair, too, he’s very handsy, and they’re not gonna let that slide." — Jenna

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Takeaways Recap (Organized per Discussion)

1. Camp ended with high energy and a few tempers flaring, notably involving Stefon Diggs and Kaiir Elam. (00:41–04:51)
2. Middle linebacker job is completely up for grabs between Dodson and Bernard; no winner yet, but Dodson acts like a leader. (05:34–07:54)
3. Dalton Kincaid has turned the heads of media and coaches alike, looking like a top contributor in year one as a pass-catching TE. (09:44–20:11)
4. Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty have likely upgraded the WR room’s versatility, offering valuable depth and unique skills. (20:11–22:10)
5. Defensively, Greg Rousseau looks primed for a breakout, while AJ Epenesa’s role may be more significant than expected. Christian Benford could emerge again at starting corner. (22:10–27:04)

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Additional Observations

• Team Chemistry: A noticeably business-like, focused vibe with fewer distractions compared to previous years—a "proper mix of football and fans." (15:06–16:13)
• Fan Engagement: Enthusiastic crowds and “intimate” access at Fisher noted as a camp highlight. (17:28–18:26)
• Roster Notes: Some minor injuries but team exits camp relatively healthy.

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Timestamps for Key Sections

• Diggs–Elam skirmish: 00:41–04:51
• LB battle insight: 05:34–07:54
• Preseason play for Allen/Diggs: 08:05–09:29
• Dalton Kincaid’s impact: 09:44–20:11
• WR/DEF depth (Hardy, Sherfield, Rousseau): 20:11–23:10
• Epenesa, Benford at CB2: 24:34–27:04
• Team/fan energy and camp tone: 14:24–16:13

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Final Thoughts

Overall, the hosts agree this was one of the Bills’ most successful, focused, and healthy camps. The team seems poised and locked in, with intriguing competitions still unfolding and new pieces ready to make an impact. The chemistry and professionalism signal a determined mindset heading into the season.

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Hosts:

• Mike Catalana
• Jenna Cottrell

Listen for:

• Real-time practice scuffles and team dynamics
• How Dalton Kincaid’s camp changed perceptions
• Why this Buffalo Bills team feels different entering 2023

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For further coverage and video updates, check out the Buffalo Plus YouTube Channel and be sure to subscribe.

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome Back to the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. Today's podcast is sponsored by our friends at Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana. I'm Jenna Cottrell. Dan Fates, still at home on paternity leave a couple things. So we want to do our five takeaways from training camp, but we also want to do a recap of what went down today on the last day of training camp. And please be sure to, like, comment. Subscribe to the podcast if you enjoy our content as well as we're now saying share it with a friend. So there, there is that as well. Okay.

[B]

I just wanted to say officially, that is the longest ever been quiet.

[A]

That's true. Also, I. I got scared that we weren't recording, but we're recordings, cuz. Still trap over here. All right, today, last day of camp.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Things got a little fiery today.

[B]

So we're watching practice and I'm thinking, well, it's the last one. It's kind of cruising through. They were supposed to be done early. And then all of a sudden I see Steph Diggs running to the sidelines in pain, trainers around them, and you're like, oh, yeah. Oh. But it was just starting at that point.

[A]

So Stefan Diggs, we talked to him as he was leaving practice. He says he's fine. He's not dealing with an injury or anything like that. But to set it up. So Diggs was being guarded by Kair Elam, who was getting handsy, and Diggs was not happy about that at all. So he went down after the play. He kind of hopped to the sidelines like you talked about.

[B]

Yeah, it was hard to tell what happened physically, but he was in pain. It was more of a. I think the right word is acute pain. Like, it was bang. He was hurt. And then once he got up, it had subsided. He was fine. There's no issue. When he jumped into his very nice automobile. When we saw him in the parking lot, he was fine, but it was really just getting started.

[A]

Yeah. Because after that, the next rep, Kyer Elam, was guarding Trent Sherfield. And Kairlum once again was getting pretty handsy with Trent Sherfield. He was able to break up the pass, but the route ended right in front of Ken Dorsey, to which Ken Dorsey, the Bill's offensive coordinator, goes up to Kair and you can tell him kind of saying like, hey, man, what are you doing? You're being really aggressive here. It's practice, all this stuff. And Kair kind of gets in his face as well. And then Kair comes back to the Bills defensive sidelines. And then after that, here comes Diggs, Stefan Diggs, running over to have a word with Kair Elam. After that.

[B]

Yeah, this was. It was real. It was not long. It was only the few minutes, but it was real. Like, it's a lot of practice. Elam's the kind of guy that gets under their skin. And it's not about talking with Elam. It's about the way he plays physically and in practice, you know, the thing you want. You don't want to see anybody get hurt. It can happen. It's a different feel in practice. Even when they're playing tough, it's a different feel. But Elam, pardon me, pisses people off when he plays. He just does. And one of those people is Diggs. And it was like a bit of hold me back.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they went at it a little bit. I mean, again, it wasn't a fight.

[A]

No.

[B]

But I mean, it's twice I see Diggs coming to the sidelines, once in pain, the next time yelling at somebody.

[A]

And it was spirited.

[B]

It was. That's a good word. That is a good word. It's skirmish. It's. What's the word?

[A]

Spirited.

[B]

What's the other one you had? Was that a kerfuffle?

[A]

Did I say kerfuffle?

[B]

I think you had that word. Is that a word?

[A]

It is a word, but it was.

[B]

It was definitely angry. Then I'm seeing Josh doing some talking, Knox yelling across. This offense and defense thing goes on. This one was a little more. I say personal because Elam does that. That's the way he plays.

[A]

I think it's two things. I think he gets under the other player's skin on offense. And I think because he is so aggressive in terms of his hands, in terms of, you know, it's not. I think it's borderline holding. But the way that that plays out, especially in practice, those guys on offense do not like that one bit.

[B]

No. And look. But you're Kyrie. You're fighting to be a starter. You're always fighting. He does have that personality. I know he's a teammate. I don't think he's out there saying, oh, he's my friend. That's playing on offense. I don't think he's wired that way. I think he's like, I'm out here fighting for my spot and my position. And there was a little defense back and forth with the offense. You see some of that. It does go on, but I was a little surprised. McDermott just didn't blow the whistle in call camp. At that point, I was.

[A]

I. I thought the same thing. I was like, all right, things are getting scrappy because then after that, there was a play. A fight kind of breaks out at the line of scrimmage.

[B]

Tommy Doyle, he's 11ft tall. Yeah. Tommy Doyle was involved in it.

[A]

You hear? Dawson, Knoxy Allen. Get him, Tommy. It was just like a wild kind of scene.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, it's the end of camp. They've been here since July 26th. It's a lot of time, you know.

[A]

I mean, it's like you really know your teammates.

[B]

Yeah. It's like Jenna actually gets annoyed with me after a while. Can you believe it?

[A]

I'm so. I'm impressed we didn't murder each other at one point today.

[B]

It's been a lot of Mike and Jenna time.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Dan will be back.

[A]

Dan, we miss you.

[B]

Think about it. Dan's the peacemaker.

[A]

Well, I know how to. I know how to deal with you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There are times, though.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We have a fine system at work.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Got quite a lot of fines.

[B]

I had some senior moments during this camp.

[A]

That's all right. I mean, I can't judge that, but. All right. In terms of other stuff that I wanted to note.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Terrell Bernard left right before team drills with the trainers, did not come back in terms of practicing. But you did see him on the field later on after practice?

[B]

Yeah, I saw him talking to other people. He looked fine, but again, sometimes a guy has an injury and he's standing there because, I don't know, his uncle, his brother, somebody's there. He wasn't in tremendous pain that he couldn't do anything. I just saw him on the field. It was right at the end, so hopefully that he is fine. He and Dodson have their competition going on. And what did Sean say?

[A]

Sean McDermott was asked just about the position battles in general, and he said, you know, there's two guys, and one really hasn't solidified themselves. One has a good day, the other one has a better day. Take that to come to me in the middle linebacker spot. And here's what I have noticed, too. Tyrell Dodson, I talked about it before him going over, you know, dapping up all of his teammates before the start of practice. This might seem like a small note, but when the Bills, the defense is, like, switching fields. He's always got to be first.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which, again, you talk about those small little details, but I think that's something that matters to him, and that's the type of thing that kind of does stand out to Sean McDermott. Now, I don't even know if McDermott's aware of that, but that was something where I noted where I'm like, he was in a straight heat between him and A.J. klein.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you could tell for Dodson, he was like, all right, they're clapping. They're clapping for us. They're not.

[B]

No, he does. He does carry himself like a starter.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

That's what I would say. Now, that's not.

[A]

That's a good way to put it.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That doesn't mean you are going to be the starter.

[B]

That's not the tape. I don't know what the tape will show, but the difference between the two is they have seen Tyrell in the position. They have to try to say, what will he look like if we make him the guy for 17 games? And then on the other side, Bernard is an impressive guy physically, and he can run, he can make plays. They haven't really seen him at all in the defense, so I haven't seen that outward leadership that we would expect. Bernard is a very composed guy, bright kid. I think he can play. But you make a good point when you're watching, if you're just standing there watching, Tyrell Dodson looks like a starter. I would agree.

[A]

Yeah. But, I mean, I don't think it's wrapped up right now, so we'll see how it goes. In terms of Saturday, what that rep count looks like. Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs will not play on Saturday, but most of the other starters.

[B]

Well, let's talk about that. I wouldn't play them. I keep saying this. I would not play them for a second in the preseason.

[A]

I think that's fair. That, I think, goes against the Sha McDermott way, though.

[B]

Why? Why are they playing? Why. Why would you play Josh?

[A]

I know. I mean, last season, I felt like before we saw him for halves of the preseason, all this stuff. Last year, it was a. A sequence, a series, and then it was a little bit more than that at another point. But.

[B]

So you gotta say, when is the preseason ending? Because even before, they always play them the third game, and then it was like 12 days before they played their first game. You know, a couple years ago, Josh played a ton in the game against the packers and then played lousy against the Steelers a week, two weeks later. And then last year, he played a limited amount of time in, what, the second preseason game, and then he got on a roll to start the season and played really well. Out in la. So I'm just looking at it and saying, do we really think these few reps matter? I don't think. Wow. You know, it is. It's the staff here. They're celebrating.

[A]

They deserve to celebrate. They've had, they've worked hard, they've done a lot of work over these last couple weeks.

[B]

Would you play them in the game?

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

I mean. And I don't think Diggs is playing. Why would you put Diggs out there? What difference does it make?

[A]

I don't want. Put them in bubble wrap. Yeah, it's fine. Everything will be fine. That's how I feel about it. Tim Settle had two nice knockdowns today, but one of which was caught by Dalton Kincaid in the end zone on kind of that broken play. It's got good hands.

[B]

It epitomizes Kincaid's camp.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Everything seemed to work for him. He looked great, seemed to catch everything, even the ones he wasn't supposed to catch. You're right. Tim Settle. And then he had that play and it was kind of funny. Even Josh after the play was like shaking his head. He knew he got away with one there. But Settle made a nice play and he showed up. And look, they're expecting that. I think they're a little disappointed in him last year and I think they expect more out of him. So these are flash plays that you see, but that was in a pretty intense 11. On 11, all the starters and Settle was out there and he made a nice play.

[A]

Yeah, sorry, I'm a little bit distracted because Matt bovet of Channel 7 is texting us for a bunch of stuff that we don't have. So.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Sorry, Matt. All right. Other things. Diggs burn, Trey White in some one on one work. And I think, I think we've kind of mentioned this, but if I'm Trey White, I am a little bit frustrated because there are. He's playing some nice defense and he's gotten a couple back. But it's like sometimes the way Josh Allen places the ball and just digs how explosive he is, it's. It's unguardable.

[B]

It also helps that nobody can hit Josh.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So, yeah, so if you're a corner, you're like.

[A]

So you're frustrated. Like you could tell that Trey was frustrated and I was like, yeah, I would, I would feel the same way.

[B]

But I would tell you this. Trey's had really good coverage and the throw and the catch are usually better. But come on, it's a tough enough job playing corner in this League. When the quarterback knows he's fine and he's wearing the red shirt, it makes it even easier for them. Even the defenders, like, they're not getting near his feet. They shouldn't be. So I agree with you. It's frustrating because they are hyper competitive. But even with that, I think Trey White looks. I think he's looked really good.

[A]

No, I. I completely agree.

[B]

But why do I love that one? So Diggs makes the catch. It's right to the end zone over here. And then the crowd. Crowd cheers everything Diggs does, but it was great. And then he jumps up on the little scaffolding area over there and he's clapping and. Yeah, he's a showman.

[A]

He really is. He has fun. I feel like he wears his emotions on his sleeve.

[B]

There's nothing like the Josh effect like us watching Josh today. I mean, we can show a little bit of that. I mean, it's awesome. He went around slapping hands with all the fans. You know, he would have been a month and a half if he was signing autographs. And he signed a ton, but he was doing that. But the excitement some fans have when Diggs is around is different. It is like, Diggs. What did I say to you? In every part of Diggs, it's. It's quick twitch movements.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Or quick twitch things. He says, like, that is Diggs. And when he's around people, they just. And they yell Diggs. It's just constant.

[A]

He loves it.

[B]

He does. He is an absolute star. It is. It's. I don't think it's fair to say 1 and 1A, is it? It's 1 and 2 with he and Josh.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, Josh is such a. Josh.

[A]

Is like a household name.

[B]

I gotta tell you, man. Diggs is as popular a player as they have had with this franchise.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, it's Josh. But then Diggs is as popular as any other guy who's ever played with the fans. Yeah, like, all these guys in the years past, I'm talking about way back, were popular. But Diggs is beloved, man. Fans just. They love watching him and they love being around him.

[A]

That they certainly do. All right, I will say my last and final note I had is from practice today. We've seen Josh Allen's hair so much normally on the sidelines, he'll have his helmet kind of like cocked back or he'll have a hat on. It's been all flow.

[B]

Let me tell you something. If I had that amount of hair, I'd be showing it off all the Time too. But Josh is a hat wearing, helmet wearing guy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Then all of a sudden he's.

[A]

You know, we caught a hair flip too, from.

[B]

Oh, I know, I know. It was like, it really was. It's funny, I saw and didn't mention. And you're like, oh, hair flip from Josh, like on the sidelines. Then he would sometimes put the helmet back. So he actually was sat in an interview with us. When was that? In the spring.

[A]

That was weird. We were like, we literally said, we're like, no hat.

[B]

He's like, you guys can laugh, but like, look at all the old interviews. Always a hat.

[A]

Also, when you're around someone so much, you notice those little things. And so when they don't, it's like when someone like shaves their mustache or your beard, you're like, wait, something is different.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you're like, oh.

[B]

And then we mentioned it to a few, like Carl Jones works at Channel 8 in Rochester. And he was like, oh, no, I've seen it too. The hair is prominent. Even running around sometimes. Yeah. No baseball hat.

[A]

I will say this has probably been, in terms of, I feel like from my perspective, one of the most successful camps that I've been to in terms of being at Fischer and just the fan involvement. A, but B, like, I feel like this team and this can kind of transition us into talking about the takeaways.

[B]

Right.

[A]

My, my. One of my takeaways is just this team. This felt very much like a. It did feel like. It's so cliche, the business trip, but I felt like this team really had a goal when they got here. I felt like it was very dialed in. There wasn't a lot of distractions. They interacted with fans and that was amazing. But it felt like a more tuned in group than maybe we've seen in the past.

[B]

A proper mix of football and fans. I think it is a nice diversion for the players to have the fans around. Sometimes the fans help with the energy. And I thought it worked. I thought it worked the whole time. It was organized. The practices were very consistent. And sometimes people are like, why don't they do the night practice? I get it. But. But coaches and even players like a bit of a routine.

[A]

I can't even express how much NFL players are creatures of habit.

[B]

They love it. And so when you even the one day was weird. They started at what, 11, 1145.

[A]

It was weird.

[B]

It was a strange day. This was efficient. They seemed to get their work done. There was a, you know, like today there was a couple of Times where it got heated, but honestly, the weather held up. They thought maybe they were going to have to go inside today. And then the weather's held up and the fans here just showed up. It was great. The response was great. And so all in all, if I'm betting on it, they're back here next year. But it's going to be a year to year thing. But I think they were very happy with the way things went.

[A]

Comparing it to last year, too, when the Bills were Super bowl favorites, I felt like they kind of had that air of like, our shit don't stank a little bit if I'm being completely real. Like, it was almost not like pompous, but like, yeah, we're the super bowl favorites. And I feel like it's not that they don't have confidence in themselves, because obviously they do, but this felt like a little bit more like, no, we're here to work.

[B]

Yeah, I agree with you. That's why I said I think the tone was right. And they seem to get a lot done now. Look, this guy's got nicked up. Even though some of the stuff we talked about today, sometimes you don't really know and then all of a sudden you'll hear something. But up to this point, and by the way, camp still continues in that camp mode for a little while in Orchard park, it's different because you don't have the fans there, but it still continues. But to go from July 26 to August 10 and would appear to be get a lot of work done, all their practices went on on time, no delays, all that kind of stuff, and you got out of it pretty healthy at this point, I think is a positive. I agree. I'd say top to bottom, football wise, I think this was the best camp I've seen here at Fischer.

[A]

I would agree with that. All right. Another takeaway you have on the camp itself. Yeah.

[B]

Honestly, I would say it's funny you mentioned the super bowl the way was last year where everybody was thinking that way. But I thought, oddly, the fans were more excited this year than they were last year. They were excited last year, but it was. It was different. I thought this year there was just a lot of energy in the place. And maybe it's because, you know, it's funny, some of the people working here would say it's not as full as yesterday.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Telling you all of this. Yeah, There was people all around and I think that helps. I think the people should take a little pride in that. And I know it's tough to get the tickets. I gotta say it's tough to get.

[A]

The tickets, but get some for my parents. And I couldn't.

[B]

Yeah, it's. It was basically sold out for free tickets, but I think it was really good. Not here, but up in Orchard park when you got 30 plus thousand people there to watch is cool. But at Fischer, it's a little different. You're a little more intimate, it's a little closer. And I thought it was good. I thought it was good.

[A]

My takeaways in terms of the team, other things. I think Dalton Kincaid will have a prominent. Seems too strong, but I think he will be an important piece of this Bills offense. From what we've seen at camp and we've talked, I mean, I feel like we've all raved about him and even Sean McDermott was like, you know, let him get through a practice, let him get through a camp. But it's what we've seen from him. I went from being like, how are the Bills going to work him in? And all this stuff, but. And look, he hasn't had NFL action yet. But from what we've seen from camp, I think it's gone better than I even expected.

[B]

Yeah. Because he just looks the part. And it's funny, we were talking about Tyrell Dodson carrying himself like a starter.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Dalton Kincaid does.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, he's a. He's a rookie. He's never played, so he's. You've never been tackled in an NFL game before and he's going to get that experience. Likely he's going to play. I'm assuming he's a rookie, so we'll see how that happens. And this is not guaranteeing numbers because you never know. But honestly, Janet, we watch a lot of snaps here. He's out there all the time. All the time. Which takes me to one of the things I was going to say off of that is very quiet camp for many reasons. For Dawson, Knox.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, thought he had a good day today. He did. Oh, no, there's nothing wrong. But we. Our eyes are on Kincaid. They're out there in two tight end sets.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he made a lot of plays. Like, you know, that's what you want to see a guy do. So I know they were trying to get him going with it and I think Knox is still going to be his role. But it was kind of funny to see the way certainly passing wise. I mean, yeah, there were way more targets to Kincaid than there was to Knox.

[A]

That's why I was so surprised. And that's why I feel like I just was not expecting that as much. So I feel like that's. He's one of my takeaways of like I think he will have an even bigger role than we expected on offense. Another thing off the offense in terms of we've talked a lot about Diggs and just him being on another level. So maybe to change it up a little bit. I think Deontay Hardy and Trent Sherfield can offer a change of pace that maybe I coming into the season didn't think that they could really boost this wide receivers room. But I feel like I've seen some stuff from them and some flashes and speed and things like that where I was curious. I'm like, you know, did Brandon Bean do enough to bolster that room? And after, after the camps that they both had and kind of seeing the way they fill out the room and Khalil Shakir and all that, I was impressed and I feel like the Bills can really potentially have almost an X factor in terms of what that wide receiver three could bring.

[B]

Yeah, they're both professional receivers. The way they run routes, the way they carry themselves, mature guys. And I said this, maybe it was a couple days ago. Love Isaiah McKenzie, but he's a different breed of cat, as they would say. He just is. And I see him as. He was always sort of a gadget guy and he never really embraced the role of being a starter where they needed him. Yeah, I don't think that's going to be an issue for these guys. They will play their special teams, they will play their role, they will be ready. I think they're more disciplined players.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And, but talent wise, I mean Sherfield can play inside and out and Hardy can be. They can line him up in a bunch of different places and hide him in some places. I mean he is small, but I'm with you. I think both of those guys will have a role. And Shakir, just like his personality, he's just like steady, steady. I would love to see him get some targets this year.

[A]

I would too. I thought he had a decent camp. I wasn't like, wow, there was a couple drops, a couple balls. He would want back. But just in terms of that wide receivers room, I was like, okay, you know what, let's talk defense. Yeah, I have one. And then you can probably, you can do the last one. Greg Russo, I expect him to have a breakout season. I think what we've heard from the guys on the team, Vaughn Miller, Jordan Phillips, other players talking about what he adds Eric Washington. Eric Washington. Excuse me, his defensive line coach. Like, I feel like year one, it was setting that foundation. Year two, it was kind of like, how do you build on that? And now in year three, adding the mental component, with his size, with his strength, the physicality, all that stuff, I have very high expectations for what he can bring, and the Bills would love for that to be the case.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, he looks great for this camp and it'll be interesting. I think I've kind of accepted that Fon's not playing the beginning of the year.

[A]

No. Yeah. He doesn't need to.

[B]

I feel like, by the way, I was almost. I was in his way very briefly today while we were doing something. And I turn around and I see this giant human being. He's got a smile on his face. I just. Excuse me, mister.

[A]

He truly does have muscle on muscle.

[B]

It's ridiculous. And on the other side is Leonard Floyd. I'm going to get to the guys I was talking about. By the way, I talked to you guys before about the mistake I made with Malcolm Floyd saying the name. So I'm walking into camp, Josh Allen's walking next to me.

[A]

So me, all he wanted was some quiet time. And you're like, oh, excuse me, Josh. I'm kidding.

[B]

I'm walking right next to him.

[A]

I'm walking here.

[B]

I'm walking here. And I said, hey, I said the wrong thing to Vaughn the other day about Floyd. And I said, malcolm. And he goes, he's a poke. He's Wyoming. Yeah. And Josh was like. I go, he didn't know him. He goes, he didn't know him. How do you not know him? I go, I think he played against him. And Vaughn knows everything or remembers everything.

[A]

You're 13.

[B]

In part of my take podcast, he must have mentioned the year 13 like 6 times. He was good. But anyhow, that's my long way to say and I bothered Josh Allen walking into camp. But the other part I wanted to say is the AJ and Epanessa things got me there a little bit. I was talking about a guy, borderline roster, and then Sean McDermott talked about him being a pivotal piece to the defense.

[A]

Do we think that's trade bait, though?

[B]

No, no, no, no, no. I mean, come on, it's AJ Epanessa. I mean, trade bait is I. I. Any player like that going into the final year of a deal is a sixth rounder. Like, that's just the way it goes in that level. No, no, no, no, no. I mean, it could.

[A]

Oh, I just hit myself Is that.

[B]

What you get for being.

[A]

You were being.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Oh, he was being what?

[B]

Me?

[A]

Oh, man, I'm annoying. I'm kidding. Well, I.

[B]

No, I. I was very surprised. First of all, for Sean to say that is a lot. Shocking and he pivotal. Pivotal piece. So let's see. I mean, we have a little bit of time before we talk about the cuts. I know some people have their 53 man projections in January, but like that. Yeah, I mean, God, you got to watch them play a little bit. But yeah, I was. I was surprised. And he's a guy that they must really still have a plan for, so good for him.

[A]

Is that your fifth takeaway or do you have another one?

[B]

No, I mean, in terms of the defense, since we were talking defensive line and you have Rousseau on that side, I still think to the other. I think Dodson's going to start the year. That would be the case. But let's see what happens when they get snaps in the preseason. And, oh, the last one I wanted to mention is I think there's still a chance that Christian Benford could be starting at cornerback. Two in week one, be two years in a row, him starting at corner. You're not going to agree with me.

[A]

No, I see it.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

I definitely see it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He'S right there with everything again. I think he just has those instincts. Kaire, too, he's very handsy and they're not gonna let that slide. The refs are like, you're not gonna get away with that as a young guy. So that would be a point of contention or concern if I'm at Sean.

[B]

McDermott and you still have Dane Jackson and I've mentioned this multiple times, they trust him because Dane's been out there. But just like in these other positions, there's trust and then there's talent. And Levi Wallace they trusted, but they needed better talent to move on from him. And Dane is that guy. Like, they can play. But I think they believe both Benford and Elam obviously are more physically talented. But the question is, which guy is going to start and we'll see. We'll see.

[A]

I'd love to talk to Christian Benford.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Just to pick his brains. I feel like we've talked so much to Kair Elam. Yeah, I think that would be something that would be interesting.

[B]

We'll get a chance.

[A]

Yeah, we'll do that at some point. All right. Anything else you want to add? What a good camp.

[B]

It really was. And so. Oh, real quick thing, we have a public appearance coming up August 23rd. And we are going to be doing a season preview.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Well, tell everybody where we're heading.

[A]

Three Heads Brewery in downtown Rochester, which it's a great spot regardless, so I was pumped we were doing that. But I think it's gonna be really fun. Kind of like a live recording of Buffalo. Plus, you get to just hang out with us. Yeah. You're in the area.

[B]

7 and 5, 30 to 7. Yep. And you can sign up the information. I posted the. The basic information where you can sign up, and we'll put it in the notes here, too, so you can go ahead. And if you see this in the podcast. And I think it's gonna be fun, so first time we've done this. Looking forward to doing more of these things. So it'll be. It'll be interesting to see, but it's coming up, so that would be. Well, I guess it's a week from next Wednesday. Yeah. Two weeks from yesterday. Yes. If you want, there's a registration. It's through Leadership Rochester. It's their event, so you can register. It includes a few beers and some wings, I believe, so you can see all the details. I believe if you're there at the bar, hanging out, it's okay to watch.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I think you might want to sign up because you might want to sit and have a couple. It's great stuff. Yeah. That they're gonna have some things there for people, so. Yeah.

[A]

I'm excited. My parents are coming up.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, they are. I'm excited. I'm excited. Yeah. Big Ben will be there, so no pressure.

[B]

Wow. Look out. Here we go.

[A]

My mom knit me another scarf.

[B]

First question to the audience. Val Cottrell. Go ahead.

[A]

Did you really wear that? Just kidding, Mom. I love you. All right. Yeah. Anything else?

[B]

No. Dan will be back next week. He's. He's so itchy.

[A]

He's chomping at the content bit. Yeah, he's just. He's missing it.

[B]

Yeah, he is, but he's girl dadding it up with the two is. The family's doing awesome, so. Yeah.

[A]

Love to hear that.

[B]

And we'll be up at the game on Saturday, so I'll report after the game.

[A]

We'll have a report before the game as well.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

As well as after the game. Plenty more coverage on the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. Oh, media near full. That's our. Oh, I got so. I got so nervous. All right. Visit the Buffalo plus store, BuffaloPlus store.com. please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe, and tell a friend if you enjoy our content for Mike and Dan, who's at home? I'll. Okay. Bye. I'm j. Bye.