Buffalo Plus Podcast — "Confidence, Concern & Culture as Bills Get Set for Training Camp"

Date: June 21, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana (A), Jenna Cottrell (C), Dan Fetes (B)
Theme: With Bills mini camp concluded and training camp around the corner, the Buffalo Plus team dives into where their confidence lies, lingering concerns, and how team culture is evolving as Buffalo plots another run at the Super Bowl.

Main Theme & Episode Purpose

This episode explores the current state of the Buffalo Bills as they enter a pivotal offseason moment: the break before training camp. Hosts Mike, Jenna, and Dan discuss specific elements they're most confident in, voice key concerns (including the Stefan Diggs saga), and examine how culture—championed by Sean McDermott—remains an ever-moving target. They trade insights on expectations, adaptation, and the "soft reset" needed after a rollercoaster 2022 season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Confidence: Secondary and Defensive Backfield

[02:13]

• Dan is most confident in the Bills’ secondary, especially Tre’Davious White making a full return after his ACL injury and the depth with Elam, Benford, Hyde, Poyer, and Taylor Rapp.
  • Dan: "The Bills secondary, and more specifically, Tre’Davious White...with another season of Kair Elam...Christian Benford...I really think he can be a difference maker in this defense."
  • Notes the return of the Hyde-Poyer tandem as stabilizing, especially for a defense rebuilt “back to front.”
• Mike agrees, emphasizing the psychological impact of having Hyde and Poyer back together:
  • Mike: "We all just got used to Poyer and Hyde...it's back to that. Their mindset is different too—they saw what life was like not being on the field together."

[04:51]

• Great coverage can itself generate sacks, compensating if pass-rusher Von Miller isn’t fully back to health. Taylor Rapp’s role is considered a dynamic addition.

Concern: Team Chemistry and Stefan Diggs

[05:41]

• Jenna voices less confidence in the offensive side, specifically citing uncertainty around offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and the potential for the Stefan Diggs situation to flare up if wins/targets don't materialize:
  • Jenna: "I think Allen has ascended...but I don't have a ton of confidence in Ken Dorsey...does this devolve...does this Stefan Diggs thing rear its ugly head once again?"

[07:05]

• Mike references John Madden’s “Winning is the great deodorant,” noting that even last year’s winning streak didn’t feel dominant due to "grinding" wins and a lack of style points.
  • Mike: "Did you ever even feel like they were on a winning streak last year? I knew they were, but it kind of was like, oh, yeah, they've won like seven."

Training Camp Culture, Reset & Adaptation

[09:41]

• Hosts agree that, after last year's high expectations, a “nobody believes in us” mentality can be beneficial. This leads to discussion about Sean McDermott’s role in rebuilding and adapting team culture.

[10:44]

• Dan shares a lesson on culture from Seth Appert (Amerks coach): “Culture is never set. When you think culture is set, you lose it real quick.”
  • Dan: "I think they may have lost sight of that culture...they lost sight of that a little bit this off season...get back to what you were doing in 2019 and 2020 when you were building this."
• The group likens maintaining a strong culture to sustaining a relationship—consistent “little things” are crucial, or everything goes stale.
  • Dan [13:13]: "It's like, I've set the foundation. No, you got to keep doing those things. And maybe McDermott's not opening the door as much."

[14:51]

• Mike reinforces that McDermott has adapted a lot, being both a rule-setter and a player-respecting coach—even as Diggs' situation feels distinctly un-McDermott-like.
  • Mike: "He makes rules. They follow those. Does he make mistakes? Absolutely...but this gives him a little leeway of reinforcing that, and I think that starts at [St.] Fisher again or continues at Fisher. Camp is a great time for that stuff."

Stefan Diggs Saga: Overblown or Ongoing?

[16:31]

• While the media and certain pundits (e.g., Craig Carton) speculate wildly, the hosts note the realities are murkier but still unresolved.
  • Dan: "Some of this is overblown, but like, don't get lost in what got you to being a Super Bowl contender and that process and those little things."
• Mike adds that adaptability is key, arguing that the Bills need to adjust and not make Diggs’ targets the central concern going into the season.

Adaptability & Playing Younger Players

[20:22]

• Mike advocates for integrating young/rookie players more meaningfully during the season (not just in emergencies), citing the Chiefs’ example and last season’s injury difficulties.
  • Mike: "You gotta get some of those other guys on the field, and you have to be focused on not just playing your best at the end of the year, but playing your best in the playoffs."
• Jenna points out McDermott’s hesitancy to play rookies/full integration, especially with first-round picks, despite success when forced (Benford, Milano).
  • Jenna: "There's got to be more of a balance between getting your rookie acclimated and not having them out on the field."

Dalton Kincaid, Rookie Impact & Personnel

[25:11]

• Dan tempers expectations about 1st-round TE Dalton Kincaid’s rookie impact, citing historical trends with rookie tight ends.
  • Dan: "History of rookie tight ends coming in and making immediate impacts in the league is, is pretty small...I guess I’m just a little concerned that Dalton Kincaid is going to be the piece that unlocks this Bills offense."
• Mike counters, advocating that Kincaid have a meaningful, though not centerpiece, role:
  • Mike: "There’s something in between...I think there’s a way to make Kincaid impactful in the offense, but it’s not like everything goes for him."
• Jenna and Mike agree: He doesn’t have to be the priority, but he “needs to be a priority.”

DeAndre Hopkins Watch

[32:11]

• Mike sees Hopkins’ free agency as a waiting game—no team has met his price, Bills remain possible but only for Bean’s preferred number.
  • Mike: "Nobody’s paying him what he wants to get paid...Hopkins is one of those guys. Yeah. I think they’d like them now...signing him changes your personnel."
• If Hopkins arrives, expect more three-wideout sets, possibly at the expense of Gabe Davis’ snap count. The hosts assign rough odds to a signing:
  • Mike: "I’ll start and say 30%."
  • Jenna: "3 out of 10" (~30%)
  • Dan: 15%

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On McDermott’s adaptability:
  Mike [14:51]: "He’s adapted, I think, a lot. And I think people’s perception of Sean outside is very different than the perception of him from the players."
• On culture as relationships:
  Dan [13:13]: “When you think culture is set, you lose it real quick. You constantly have to be working...Maybe McDermott’s not opening the door as much. Okay. And maybe he’s just got to get back to...really having his...footprint on this team.”
• On Diggs:
  Mike [15:20]: "Man. I become even a bigger fan of Poyer with the way he handled everything going back. Unbelievable. That's the way a captain acts...that's kind of not the Bills way."
• On rookie usage:
  Mike [31:28]: "We talk about, 'Elam's the first-round pick, the kid in the sixth round is the guy who starts.' So they have done it. And I think there’s every reason they want to see Kincaid on the field."
• On offseason rumors:
  Mike [18:34]: "Craig Carton's got, you know, he's had a lot of issues, but he's had a ton of success doing that kind of stuff...But what's not nonsense is to what Dan's point is. That's still out there and it needs to be addressed."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:13 — Confidence in Secondary/Defense (Elam, Benford, Hyde, Poyer)
• 05:41 — Confidence & Concern: Offense vs. Defensive Stability
• 07:05 — The Stefan Diggs Situation: Can It Resurface?
• 09:04 — Emotional Hangover: Will There Be One?
• 09:41 — Adapting Team Culture & McDermott’s Mindset Shift
• 10:44 — What Culture Really Means in Buffalo
• 13:01 — Dan’s Culture-as-Relationship Analogy
• 14:51 — How McDermott Handles Players & Adapts
• 16:31 — Diggs’ Saga: Overblown vs. Real (and lessons for McDermott)
• 18:34 — Rumor Control: The Craig Carton “Trade Diggs for Hopkins” Take
• 20:22 — Playing the Young Guys: Chiefs Example/Resting Stars
• 23:12 — Navigating the AFC Playoffs, Rest, and Getting Hot
• 25:11 — Dalton Kincaid’s Rookie Year Expectations
• 32:11 — DeAndre Hopkins: Contract Odds & Personnel Impact
• 36:44 — Hopkins Odds: Host Predictions
• 38:00+ — Light-hearted closing, home improvement detours, mailbag & next episode teasers

Language & Tone

The discussion is lively, informal, and sharp, blending hard Bills analysis with playful banter, behind-the-curtain anecdotes, and even personal analogies. The hosts' friendly jabs and local color distinguish the show as deeply rooted in Western New York sports culture.

Conclusion

This episode offers a thorough, nuanced look at the Bills' confidence points and vulnerabilities heading into 2023 training camp. It highlights the team's 'soft reset,' the pressures of maintaining an all-in culture, and the delicate balancing act between proven veterans and promising rookies—all shaped by the personalities on and off the field. The hosts keep it real on what matters, what’s posturing, and what storylines Bills fans should watch in the weeks ahead.

For fan questions/contributions: The next episode will be a mailbag! Comments/questions welcome.

Notable Quotes

• Mike: “Winning is the great deodorant.” [07:05]
• Dan: "When you think culture is set, you lose it real quick.” [10:44]
• Jenna: “Don’t draft [Kincaid] if you don’t see him being a piece of your offense going forward.” [28:25]