
Mike and Dan share their observations from Bills Rookie Minicamp and give their take on the NFL's upcoming schedule release on the latest episode of the Buffalo Plus Podcast.
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Maxwell Harrison
Very anxious. You know, that was like a little kid trying to go to sleep before Christmas last night.
Mike Catalana
It's good to be back up here.
Dan Fates
It's good to call him Dion Walker, not Dwayne. Hey everyone, and welcome Back to the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. Mike Catalana alongside Dan Fates here at Bill's rookie minicamp. Please be sure to like, comment, comment and subscribe. Tons of content is coming your way over this next week because first it is rookie minicamp Mike, then it is scheduled release day. Then we also will have later on the state of the Bills offense coming up next week. So tons of content. Please, please, please pause the video for a second and subscribe. Appreciate it as always. Okay, let's start out.
Mike Catalana
There's a couple saying people couldn't subscribe while they're watching.
Dan Fates
You know what? We want to focus on process. It's a process driven podcast and YouTube channel. We talked, we got to see the players. We got to talk to some of the players today. Your first impression of what you saw.
Mike Catalana
Today, I find it very interesting when we see the rookies come out here because it's just them, right? So it's like that day early of school, maybe freshman at college, right? When the seniors aren't there, the juniors, the sophomores, it's only you. And there's a little hesitation. They're in a NFL uniform. That is a big deal to these guys.
Dan Fates
Absolutely.
Mike Catalana
It is a major step. But they walk out on the field. Okay, as maybe the better players, right? Especially the draft picks, feeling that way. It'll be different in a couple of weeks when the vets are here. We know that. But it's funny to me. In fact, Maxwell Harrison, who has a lot of confidence, right, He's a guy that has enthusiasm and confidence. But I asked him, what's it feel like to go out there on a field in your first NFL practice with the rookies? Here's what he had to say.
Maxwell Harrison
Very anxious. You know, I was like A little kid trying to go to sleep before Christmas last night but just, you know, not it's okay to be anxious but to still go out there and be confident and you know, know what I have, know what to do and execute. You know, it's just, it's all just a learning process.
Dan Fates
He wasn't the only one. Landon Jackson also said he was extremely nervous today and was kind of asked on the follow up of like, hey, if you're nervous now, imagine when the seniors and the juniors showed up and he goes, the nerves go away after today. It really is, I think that first day of school vibes that they're getting their feet wet in Taste of the.
Mike Catalana
NFL and every coach is looking at just them.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
Now look, even when the vets are here, they're looking at these rookies I a lot because they want to see who warrants what they're thinking when they go the rest of the off season and certainly when they go to training camp. They know what to expect out of a lot of vets. But it's very different when you're out there on the field. It's just the rookies. That's why to take a lot from the little bit of scrimmaging over there that goes on over there. Yeah, I mean it's like I saw Caden Prather make a couple of nice catches. That's great. He should be able to. It's a bunch of rookies out there and it's, they're not really, they're not hitting anybody. But it's nice to see when the players look like he's got a little size and a little bit of talent. That's how much you take out of these practices.
Dan Fates
Yeah, I was, I tweeted before we went out there. I said things I'm looking forward to seeing at Bill's rookie minicamp and it was Dion Walker. Deon Walker. Deon Walker and how large of a human being Deion Walker is. I'll say this, maybe I made it up in my head a little bit. He's a large human being. I thought he was going to be like the mountain from Game of Thrones. He's a big guy and I think when he gets pads on it'll also be different. But he was big. He didn't do a ton of drills today. That was part of what kind of Bean said after they drafted him. It's going to be a ramp up period after the back injury that he was dealing with all of last year.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, I was watching during all the drills like, he was not doing those. There's no reason for him to be doing it now. He was doing the old mental reps like they say. But I will say this. He's engaged with the coaches and all. He's figuring everything out. But that's going to be something to monitor and to watch because he's going to be a big, physical player. He's still pretty big. He's big.
Dan Fates
Yes. You else was really big. TJ Sanders was bigger than I thought.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Because the report coming out on him was undersized for a defensive tackle. He don't look small next to Deion Walker. He's a big guy, too. Sturdy base.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
You know, if we get the oily hips kind of scattered point. He's got a sturdy base. I like to see, like, he's got some drive and some push to him. I liked seeing that. And the other guy, for me, Landon Jackson was bigger than I thought.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Like, he is a. He looks like a guy that could tie his shoes without bending over. Like that is how long his arms are.
Mike Catalana
Not as tall as his dad, though.
Dan Fates
His dad is 6 11, so he is.
Mike Catalana
I want to know what you guys think.
Dan Fates
He powers over him.
Mike Catalana
If you were 6 11, would you say 7ft? No, no, no.
Dan Fates
Because you want to be. 7 foot is like crazy tall.
Mike Catalana
Like 611 is not.
Dan Fates
No, but like, it's different.
Mike Catalana
It puts you in another place. Like, because they'll have stats that say 12% of the people in the country that are over 7ft played in the NBA. Like, okay, there's not that many of them.
Dan Fates
Landon Jackson's father did play in college.
Mike Catalana
Yes.
Dan Fates
So. So that was interesting to me, seeing his size. He also talked about the nerves and things like that, but I thought he was. He was a big dude.
Mike Catalana
What else did he say about getting bigger though, too?
Dan Fates
Landon?
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
No, Dorian's dad.
Mike Catalana
Oh, okay. So tell him that one.
Dan Fates
So the other guy that. The one guy that I thought really impressed me today and it was an interesting guy coming in because it's a six round pick in the same draft that somebody. That the Bills also took a cornerback in the first round.
Mike Catalana
When does that ever happen?
Dan Fates
Right. Dorian Strong to me, looked really good today. And again, take it with a grain of salt. Maybe it'll develop into my hot take of the year as we get closer to training camp. That this guy could be a legitimate player in the NFL. He has a ton of confidence. And he also worked out with Maxwell Harrison in Phoenix leading up to the draft process. They have been very close after practice, they were working out together. Like, it felt like that Kyer Benford vibe. And I asked, first thing I asked was, look, they're friends. It's great that they know each other. Training. They thought there was a possibility they could end up on the same team. And I kind of asked them. Well, yeah, your buddies, your friends, you are competing against one another for a roster spot. And this is what Dorian Strong had to say.
Dorian Strong
It's just a healthy competition. Like you can't like basically be like a hole, I guess, but like, you know, like you just got to like coach them up. Like don't like be humble enough, you know, to be like to be a coach, you know, like at the end of the day, we all competing, you know, and more of the story, like, I can help him as long as my production still showing what it is. Like, it doesn't matter. Like at the end of the day, coach makes the final decision, you know, so we will go out there, compete, you know, regardless, I'm going to try to make more plays than him and we going to work.
Dan Fates
Yeah, you don't want to be an A hole, but you want to make more plays than him. I like that intensity. And talk about physicality. Dorian's the more bigger guy. He's not as fast obviously as Harrison, but he's seen as the more physical guy and agile. His dad's a professional bodybuilder, so in high school he was made fun of because he was too skinny. And so he's constantly had to work at building up his physicality. It's something he takes a lot of pride in, something he knows he constantly is working on. And he said, just wait till I get in the weight room and you see how swole I am.
Mike Catalana
Hmm. Is he gonna get Max in there with him?
Dan Fates
God could help. Yeah, good help.
Mike Catalana
Now, just in terms of size, did he mention that he was in my mock draft to the. From the.
Dan Fates
He didn't. I did tell him to like, comment and subscribe to the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel, but like I said, my way too early hot take. This is just testing the hot take waters. I think he's going to play a lot for the Bills.
Mike Catalana
It'd be tremendous if another 6th round pick corner is really good. Add in the number one pick being really good. That would be phenomenal for this draft. So. So let's see how it is. But I, I do think he does have that. He carries himself that way at least.
Dan Fates
Five year starter, played a lot of football. He is very confident in what he can do. And like I said, at the end of it, he's like, I want to make more plays than him. Like, I, I think that's a good part of the healthy competition. And I'm just looking at him as a guy that could be, we could be talking about him at training camp going, hey, man, they got to find a spot for this guy in the field.
Mike Catalana
Jackson Hawes made a couple of nice plays.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Mike Catalana
Which is cool.
Dan Fates
I mean, blocking tight end.
Mike Catalana
He's a blocking tight end. The way I look at a blocking tight end is when they call you a blocking tight end, just catch the ball when it's thrown to you. So you're not going to get that many of them.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Mike Catalana
But who knows how a guy develops. He's a big guy.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Mike Catalana
Let's see what he is. It seems like.
Dan Fates
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Mike Catalana
When you take a guy in the fifth round, they want him to be on this roster. They want him to be on the team. Let's see how he is again. You're just getting these initial looks at them.
Dan Fates
It almost feels like a instructional camp. That's what this is. They had to walk them through the stretches, like that kind of thing.
Mike Catalana
This is the way we do things in Buffalo. I think that's what they're telling them.
Dan Fates
Right. And so I like that. And again, I liked hearing that the guys were nervous and anxious. That's real, that that's these guys being relatable. Harrison seems to be flying around. He's. He looks so smooth again. You see that recovery speed. And they were going through their reps just positionally. And you had the defensive backs coaches and the secondary coaches kind of being like, go through it harder, Max. Like, go through this more. Like, this is it. Take it like an NFL rep. Lap the guy in front of you.
Mike Catalana
Like.
Dan Fates
Like pushing him to be that way. And then they called him and Dorian out to make sure they did reps together. Like, that is where I think this competition is. Is going to be really exciting in training camp.
Mike Catalana
I think this is something I'm not sure fans at home realize. Like, NFL teams take those drills and that instruction very seriously. Every step like this is not just for the rookies. They want it done away. And we'll watch them during the season, during practice, when they're going through stuff. Like, they are very meticulous about what they want. Positioning, because the stance for the defensive.
Dan Fates
Lineman, watching Deon Walker, like, they want his. They're. They're tweaking the angle of his back foot to a certain degree. All these tiny little things, which is what makes. I remember talking to Reed Ferguson about the way that you held the football and all these little intricate things that even at the highest level of college is not paid to the attention that it is in the NFL.
Mike Catalana
You need any advantage or, you know, to keep up in any way possible. Fundamentals. And those things get taught starting today for these guys. And that carries through. I mean, in November in a practice, they're going through fundamentals, which is great to see.
Dan Fates
All right, so switching gears just a little bit, that kind of wraps up again. It was. It was over there, and there wasn't a ton to break down. Besides, Deon Walker is a large human being, but so is Lace.
Mike Catalana
It's funny he and Max because it's.
Dan Fates
The Jose Altuve Aaron judge.
Mike Catalana
It just is. We have to get them standing together.
Dan Fates
I mean, he weighs twice as much, almost.
Mike Catalana
I mean, it's like twice would be about 360.
Dan Fates
It's close. Yeah. There is the schedule release that is coming out on Wednesday. We will have a podcast coming out on Monday. So be sure to, like, comment and subscribe to tune into that one about what we think the schedule could be like, what primetime games are possibility. We are hearing that Josh Allen will be on the Today show on NBC on Monday morning. Speculate away.
Mike Catalana
Well, look, NBC, the first weekend has the Thursday game. That's the Eagles opener. That's going to be in Philly Bills Play the Eagles this year. But that game is in Buffalo.
Dan Fates
Correct.
Mike Catalana
So they're not playing that game. It's not the Thursday game. The other games are not NBC.
Dan Fates
And who do you think the Eagles could play on Thursday? When we were driving up here, made a good point.
Mike Catalana
So they. They have a great schedule. Like there's a lot of teams they could play that they are playing at home. A lot of people think Lions. I'm saying Chicago Bears.
Dan Fates
Everything's coming up Chicago.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Popes games, new coach Caleb.
Mike Catalana
They got the Pope. Isn't that something? But I told Dan if the Pope was from Philly, he would have walked out and said go Birds right off the bat. But that's what I think for that Thursday game. We will see. But I think Josh is there to talk about the Bills opener. Who you got for them in the opener?
Dan Fates
What we're hearing, we have the sources. Sources that there's the possibility that the Bills would be home Sunday night of week one, potentially against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, I think that's. That's a good. I mean, you got Burrow and Allen. So there you go.
Dan Fates
And you got Chase and Higgins. Like you. You have a lot of storylines.
Mike Catalana
Thinking of Max, man, if you're starting in that game. There you go. Be ready, rookie.
Dan Fates
I just thought.
Mike Catalana
Yeah, but that's a great opening game. Look, the Bills have options for that game. Like a quiet one outside the division is Tampa.
Dan Fates
You're big on the T. I'm not as big on it.
Mike Catalana
No. Here opening weekend, people are starving for football.
Dan Fates
Yes.
Mike Catalana
So it doesn't always have to be. It could be Baltimore.
Dan Fates
Could be. Baltimore is the other one.
Mike Catalana
I mean, that's a. You know, that's a big matchup for them, too. So we'll see what ends up happening. But if Josh is on the Today show, that tells me it's the NBC.
Dan Fates
Game and it's Sunday night.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
Because it's not Thursday.
Mike Catalana
No, it's not going to be that game.
Dan Fates
So that's just our little teaser. We wanted to throw that in there.
Mike Catalana
And then they've got. Look, we're going to find out. We may know some of them because some of that stuff comes out.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
Yay or nay for you right now? Christmas.
Dan Fates
Yay.
Mike Catalana
They're playing on Christmas.
Dan Fates
Do you burn it at night? Do you need Josh in the nightcap? Because there's three games. Correct.
Mike Catalana
Yeah.
Dan Fates
And what do you think about international?
Mike Catalana
I say no. There's some. I mean, that Pittsburgh game would be crazy in Ireland.
Dan Fates
Yes. Well, we have to see What Aaron Rodgers does, that's what the league is obviously waiting for.
Mike Catalana
Well, they're going to announce the schedule. That schedule's already made Rodgers.
Dan Fates
It would be so Rodgers to go on McAfee on Tuesday.
Mike Catalana
I think, first of all, we know the Steelers are going to be there. Josh Allen carries that game no matter what.
Dan Fates
Correct.
Mike Catalana
So if they want the Bills there, the Bills are going to be there. No matter who the Steelers have as the quarterback that's up there. You know, I was looking at the rest of the schedule. I don't see them sending them back to London again. No, they just were in London, so I don't see that. I guess that could happen.
Dan Fates
But your interest. Would you want the Bills to have an Ireland game, an international game in that spot? We know it's Pittsburgh. It's just a matter of.
Mike Catalana
And they'd be the road team in that game, Correct? Yeah.
Dan Fates
And I wish they would just have it in Pittsburgh.
Mike Catalana
So we got Christmas to think about Thanksgiving night because they don't play at the Lions or at the Cowboys. So it could be the night game.
Dan Fates
And that's an NBC game.
Mike Catalana
And that could be.
Dan Fates
I doubt.
Mike Catalana
I doubt they'd be announcing that, but they could be.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
So Josh could be there to announce that.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
That's the night.
Dan Fates
But Buffalo plus is softly announcing Bengals Sunday night. Bengals, week one home.
Mike Catalana
And then you got. You got the day after Thanksgiving, too.
Dan Fates
Yeah.
Mike Catalana
In the Amazon game, which could be the Bills, too.
Dan Fates
Anything else?
Mike Catalana
I don't think so. It's good to be back up here.
Dan Fates
It's good to call him Dionne Walker, not Dwayne. Tons of great comments.
Mike Catalana
That's great. You know, people think you made a lot of mistakes. If it was me, it's because I'd be old. If it was Jenna, they'd say she's.
Dan Fates
She's high.
Mike Catalana
And it's just you being Dan.
Dan Fates
Just being me.
Mike Catalana
You know who's going to be here in a couple weeks? Conor McGovern.
Dan Fates
Not Conor McGregor.
Mike Catalana
No.
Dan Fates
Or Conor McDermott.
Mike Catalana
Both of those guys could show up. They could be, if they wanted to. But Connor McGovern will be here going up against.
Dan Fates
Deon Walker.
Mike Catalana
We are on a roll.
Dan Fates
I'm nailing it now. All right, be sure to, like, comment and subscribe. Like we said, tons more content coming your way.
Mike Catalana
And.
Dan Fates
And over the next week Monday podcast, Wednesday, we'll have an instant reaction to the schedule release state of the Bills offense and all those things. So be sure to, like, comment and subscribe. For Mike Catalana. I'm Dan Fates here at up in Orchard Park. I'm not as good as tagging this out as Jenna is. We'll catch you next time here on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. Presented by Land the Plane by Connors and Fairs. Sam.
Date: May 10, 2025
Hosts: Mike Catalana & Dan Fates
Location: Orchard Park, Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp
This episode dives into first impressions from the Buffalo Bills rookie minicamp, offering early evaluation on new arrivals’ mindsets, physicality, and the initial vibe among draft picks. Hosts Mike Catalana and Dan Fates analyze standouts, discuss positional competitions, and highlight rookie anxieties and camaraderie. The latter half of the episode pivots to NFL schedule speculation—potential opener matchups, primetime, and international game possibilities—sprinkled with playful banter in the signature Buffalo Plus style.
Stay tuned and subscribe for deeper dives as rookie performances develop and the full NFL schedule drops!