Dan Fates (1:46)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (1:47)

And he certainly didn't give anything to anybody. But he also, I think just told the public version of what he wanted the story to be.

Dan Fates (1:58)

Yeah. I think there were some of the things that we had checked. We had checked on the bingo card heading into this press conference. He loves him. Brother loves him like a brother.

Jenna Cottrell (2:07)

It is a business.

Dan Fates (2:08)

It is a business.

Mike Catalana (2:09)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (2:10)

Wishes him well. Yeah, yeah. All those things.

Dan Fates (2:12)

Nothing was really said today, especially from Josh. That surprised me.

Mike Catalana (2:17)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (2:17)

In that sense. And, and I think Jenna had had this when we recorded our video for tv was that. You said he was, he was earnest.

Jenna Cottrell (2:25)

Yeah, I felt like that was. That was the vibe I got where it was. I think some time had. Had happened. Obviously. I think there was enough to digest the moment. And I think he was earnest. And when he was saying, I appreciate Diggs, the player he helped me become, essentially saying, like, I owe a lot to that guy. He taught us how to win. He taught us know a lot. So I thought that was a very respectful way of sharing and saying the fact that he's going to miss him. And also he said, now ahead, it's a new opportunity for this team. And it absolutely is.

Mike Catalana (2:57)

I was thinking about just real. This is real life stuff. When you're talking about relationships, we're not talking about, you know, he didn't fit in our offense, you know, and that type of thing. How would anybody want to react to this? Like, there's no particular reason to tell the full truth publicly about any of this. Whatever it is between them, if whatever it was, like, as much as we want to know, as much as we can to get a feel of it, the truth is it's a relationship between two people that is none of anybody else's business to a point. Now, it did lead to somewhat the team making a decision to move on from them, but, I mean, there's a point where, like, he's only going to tell you so much what he wants to, and I think that's what most of you or I or anybody would do if we were talking about a relationship that has come to an end or at least changed.

Dan Fates (3:48)

Yeah. And that goes for not only what Josh said, but also the fact of what we had heard from Bean and McDermott as well. And what's. You're trying to read in between the lines, too. Right. The one thing that stood out to me in between the lines was there were questions that were phrased as, you know, publicly. It was made a big deal, all of these things. You know, Diggs was unhappy. It was on espn. It led all these national media. It was these big headlines, you know, how did you handle it? One of the questions was, how did you learn from it? They never denied that there was a riff. No. Nobody ever said, yeah, the media made that up. Yeah. I don't know why you guys were saying that.

Mike Catalana (4:27)

They stopped short of making a point about a riff. They just did not.

Jenna Cottrell (4:32)

They didn't. They didn't confirm it, but they didn't deny it.

Dan Fates (4:35)

They didn't deny it.

Mike Catalana (4:36)

Oh, well done. I thought, perfect.

Dan Fates (4:38)

To me, that's. That stood out.

Mike Catalana (4:39)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (4:40)

Matt Perino for Syracuse.com I thought he had some of the best questions on the day where he was, you know, one of the questions was this did almost was like did it become too much? And how did you handle it with espn? And everybody seemed to be leading the show with Diggs being unhappy and. And Josh was just like, well, you know, I. I have to wear a lot of hats as a leader and things like that. I would have thought that if even relaxed Josh could have come out, I almost expect him to say, well, you guys were, you know, you guys were the ones that made up the drive.

Mike Catalana (5:06)

Oh, yeah.

Dan Fates (5:07)

Like, I. I thought that that was what we could have heard of. Well, you guys made a bigger deal. It really wasn't a big deal. It's just, this is the business, and you can't keep everybody. That wasn't. That stood out to me. As nobody said, no, no, no, no, no. You guys had it wrong. You know, like I've always told you, Diggs is my boy. And we're real close. We heard that. But there was none of that part of first denying what the national media was said.

Jenna Cottrell (5:30)

That is interesting because it's almost like by them not saying that, it's like, oh, maybe there. Maybe there was more into that than we believed.

Dan Fates (5:38)

What they didn't say to me spoke.

Mike Catalana (5:42)

A little loudly, but I. You're. Yes, except I. I think. No, go ahead.

Jenna Cottrell (5:46)

Personally, the move had already been done.

Mike Catalana (5:49)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (5:49)

Now it's just. It's like when you have a breakup and afterwards people like, oh, how is it? And you be. You're respectful.

Mike Catalana (5:55)

Yes.

Jenna Cottrell (5:56)

But there's a reason why you broke up.

Mike Catalana (5:58)

Yeah. And everybody knows that. And in this case, it does them no good to say anymore. And that's why I say, as people, why Would you go into any more detail? You don't need to. Now, I'll say this. What I wanted to know from the last news conference with Brandon Bean after the move was he said, well, you know, Josh was aware that we were potentially going to trade Steph. He had let him know about that because at that time, he said, well, I haven't talked to him since the trade. Now he's obviously talked to him since. So I said to him, what. Well, what was it like when you talked to Josh right before you're telling your quarterback, we are trading your number one wide receiver and this guy that there has been this relationship with this whole time. Here's what Bean had to say, and then you'll hear from Josh on his thoughts on Diggs. He.

Brandon Bean (6:50)

Josh is really mature and understands that sometimes I'm calling him about things to say. How do you see it? Sometimes I'm calling him just to say, hey, this is where we're at. I don't want you to be blindsided. Things like that. I'm not really going to weigh into where the conversation with Steph. I just think it needs to be kept between. Between me and Josh just out of respect.

Dan Fates (7:18)

My lasting memory of Steph will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today. And, you know, always thank him for that. I shared a text with him and.

Mike Catalana (7:27)

Got one back and just thanking him for everything that he did for me.

Dan Fates (7:31)

And always have a spot in my heart for him and I always love.

Mike Catalana (7:33)

That guy like a brother and, you.

Dan Fates (7:35)

Know, wish him nothing but the best.

Mike Catalana (7:37)

Yeah. So you hear Josh, like I said, high road. High road. High road. Sorry for him. But Bean's answer, which, again, I respect him saying, it's just between us.

Dan Fates (7:49)

It was a perfectly phrased question.

Jenna Cottrell (7:51)

Yeah, it was. It was well done. I also thought it was interesting, though, when Josh was talked about, like, have you talked to Diggs or anything? And Josh said, I texted him and I did receive a text back.

Dan Fates (8:01)

Yeah, that was it.

Jenna Cottrell (8:02)

I was like, that is very interesting to me that you would acknowledge the fact that you received something back. Because I was like, oh, that's interesting. We've all said, like, if I texted you, I wouldn't be like. And Dan text. I'd be like, I texted Dan. And I assume you would assume it also.

Dan Fates (8:19)

It wasn't a conversation. It was a text and a response and a text back.

Jenna Cottrell (8:25)

Yeah, yeah, that's.

Dan Fates (8:26)

That's.

Jenna Cottrell (8:26)

That's.

Dan Fates (8:26)

That's not a conversation. A conversation. You go back and forth. That was. He said something. Dig said something. The end.

Mike Catalana (8:33)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (8:33)

But we will get. We will get. When Houston and the Bills play this year, we will get a pregame hug, smile. Maybe they'll break out an old handshake, dap. Josh will be. We talked about before. Josh will be in headphones. Diggs. They'll have their headphones on pre game. Josh will stop throwing the football to go over to him.

Mike Catalana (8:53)

Yeah. Josh will be in the. What, like the T shirt or a hoodie.

Dan Fates (8:58)

Yeah. Depending on time of the year.

Mike Catalana (9:00)

So real quick, it's a prime time game and it's early in the year.

Jenna Cottrell (9:05)

Thursday.

Mike Catalana (9:06)

I say late September, early October.

Dan Fates (9:08)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (9:09)

Because it's playing off last year and these two teams this year.

Dan Fates (9:12)

Yep.

Mike Catalana (9:12)

In Houston.

Dan Fates (9:13)

Because you. You also want. If you're a schedule, you're going to want to take advantage of the hype that Houston has.

Mike Catalana (9:18)

Yes.

Dan Fates (9:18)

And the juice that's left in this Digs Allen story.

Mike Catalana (9:21)

Yes.

Jenna Cottrell (9:22)

Yeah. A Thousand percent.

Mike Catalana (9:23)

And listen, we're not harping on this. It was good to hear from Josh. I will say there is a sense of moving on for the entire organization. And you can kind of see I get more of a feel listening to them, why it needed to happen. We didn't sense it as much after the season.

Dan Fates (9:41)

Correct.

Mike Catalana (9:41)

Because I think the thought was, well, they got to replace him, maybe they draft somebody, you know, all that. And I think organizationally, they needed to move on. And I think, obviously, if you got Diggs, I think Diggs felt like he needed to move on. So that's what happens.

Jenna Cottrell (9:56)

Yeah. I thought his demeanor and also was more, in terms of Josh was a little bit more, like I said before, earnest. But also it felt like off season Josh, that we're used to having some personality, having some fun with some questions. He did mention, though, and I thought this was important because I've been asked a couple times, like, what do you want to see from Josh Allen going forward? And I said, I want to see Josh become a more demanding leader. And he said in his press conference today, with, like, five captains now gone off of this team, how he has now the opportunity to grow as a leader. He says he's willing to do that job. He's capable of being that guy, and he already thinks he can be. So I thought that was interesting, though, for him to actually physically acknowledge the fact that there was more room to grow there.

Mike Catalana (10:44)

Yes. But it's funny you use the word demanding leader. There's a difference between being a leader. Let's go, guys. Come on. We're only down 6. Let's make a play. Come on. You can do it. Don't worry about the drop and do your damn job. Catch the ball. You ran the wrong route, like, whatever that is, in whatever form that takes for Josh Allen to be himself. Hey, Khalil, run the route right? Know the play. What? And I'm just picking that, you know, whatever it is.

Dan Fates (11:12)

And for as much as Josh says he's looking forward to embracing that. That opportunity, that challenge to be that leader. And, you know, he did say at times he. He kind of just wants to be himself. But then he did say, like, today, like, I am a franchise quarterback. I have to wear multiple hats. I can't just be. Because he even said, I want to be just one of the guys. Josh, you're not one of the guys. You're worth a quarter of a million.

Mike Catalana (11:36)

You're the guy.

Dan Fates (11:37)

You are the guy. There's a quarter of a billion dollars invested in you. And you not only have to be a leader on the field, you have to be a leader off the field, in meetings, in practices, all of those things. And it almost was like maybe partly because of the roster around him. He hasn't needed to be any more than himself. He's had. He said it's going to be weird not having Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer to talk to, even not just about football, but life. He had Diggs, he had Mitch Morris. Like he had dogs. He had leaders, grown ass men that.

Mike Catalana (12:11)

Had been there before and had been around him.

Dan Fates (12:14)

Yes.

Mike Catalana (12:14)

And this is where I think changes. He's had digs with him. He had Gabe with him for a while. You sort of fall into this is the way the structure works. I think this is the time for Josh to establish a little more dominance over the players. Like, hey, hey, listen. Say what you. Tom Brady is an ass to his teammates. They all talked about it in the football sense because he did it that way. He wanted it done. I don't think Josh will ever be that. But he needs to be more. And when you say demanding, I think that's a, that's a key thing for him. I don't know if he's got it.

Jenna Cottrell (12:52)

I don't know if he has that gear.

Mike Catalana (12:53)

It's a lot easier with a rookie wide receiver, even a new guy, Curtis Samuel, Khalil, Shakir, than it probably was with Beasley. Yeah, Brown, it's always been a guy who's been somebody before. These guys are coming in now. Now you're coming in going, oh, I'm playing with Josh Allen.

Dan Fates (13:11)

And it's also. He talks about it's not always a bad thing for the roster to get younger. We've talked about that, that the roster is getting younger now. Josh is older.

Jenna Cottrell (13:18)

Josh isn't entering his seventh year like that.

Dan Fates (13:21)

Maybe now you can be more of that asshole. And maybe that's what this team needs a little bit.

Mike Catalana (13:26)

A little bit?

Jenna Cottrell (13:27)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (13:27)

Like the demanding part. It's not just being a jerk.

Dan Fates (13:30)

Yes. It's like, you know, your.

Mike Catalana (13:32)

We know the expectation.

Jenna Cottrell (13:34)

That's a whole nother story.

Mike Catalana (13:36)

And during the game, do it, you know, it's it. You can be encouraging while you're still telling them this isn't good enough. Yeah, we got to be better.

Jenna Cottrell (13:43)

You have to be better.

Mike Catalana (13:44)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (13:45)

So I did want to mention too, Alan said that his shoulder feels good. I know people were worried about that going into the off season. So that's just one.

Mike Catalana (13:52)

But I hope so, you know, because you remember even at camp Last year, he was constantly getting it, you know, looked at with the shoulder. He's had issues.

Jenna Cottrell (13:59)

Yeah, absolutely.

Mike Catalana (14:00)

You know what helps it is golf. Golf swing. The golf club.

Dan Fates (14:04)

Played with Tiger.

Mike Catalana (14:05)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (14:05)

He also did a YouTube video with him.

Mike Catalana (14:08)

He's lit up. When you asked him about that, I've.

Dan Fates (14:10)

Never seen him smile, so he's so happy. I joked around about it. I go, it's like, what? Jenna. It's Jenna's face when the meal comes out at the restaurant.

Jenna Cottrell (14:18)

Let me identify the chicken fingers that are yours.

Mike Catalana (14:22)

Yeah, yeah. Hey, it's with Tiger, man. That's pretty cool.

Dan Fates (14:26)

He said, you never want to meet your heroes unless your heroes taught your Woods.

Jenna Cottrell (14:29)

That's pretty cool. That is so cool. All right. We also heard from Sean McDermott, but Brandon Bean, too.

Mike Catalana (14:35)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (14:35)

And we are now. We're recording us on Thursday. We are one week away from the NFL draft. Bill's at 28. They have 10 picks. Brandon Bean. I don't know what we're gonna do.

Mike Catalana (14:45)

Yeah, I think seventh round, last pick. They might take a wide receiver. They don't need anything. They're set.

Jenna Cottrell (14:50)

We don't have a, quote, glaring hole at wide receiver, end quote. Brandon Bean, Dan the only.

Dan Fates (14:57)

That was adorable.

Mike Catalana (14:58)

Bigger is the new one for the stadium across the street, the Pit. The Pit over there. No. Yes. He knows it. We all know it. And then, you know, we talk about smoke screens like the other teams in the league are looking at. The Bills, they're going, they need a wide receiver. Yeah, they need a wide receiver.

Dan Fates (15:15)

They need a wide receiver. We joke around about. We joke around about that. A lot of teams need a wide receiver. Like, it's not really that. It's not really a secret. Right. And Matt perino, again, of syracuse.com I thought, asked a very poignant question, and he phrased it as other teams around the league are finding success on offense without having a true number one. Houston pretty much did it with Tank Dell as well as Nico Collins. Green Bay did it with a lot of second day two, day three wide receivers, and it was kind of a wide receiver by committee. Bean was asked if he feels there's a need to have a true number one wide receiver.

Mike Catalana (15:52)

No.

Brandon Bean (15:53)

I mean, listen, you'd love to have two guys out there that are number ones. You know what I mean? Or like, you're always going to try to find the best players you can. No, you need. What you need are guys that, in this offense that are smart, versatile, selfless, and can make the plays that their skill set allows them to make. And if it's a tall guy that's going to, you know, Josh is going to throw up a 50, 50 ball, he's got to come down with it. If it's a guy that we want to get the ball in his hands and when we need some rack, he's going to do that.

Mike Catalana (16:27)

I think.

Brandon Bean (16:28)

I think that's what we're looking for. You know, if there's a one that pops up, either, you know, free agency or draft, that makes sense for us or really good too, you know, we'll do it. But I don't think. I don't think having a one or not having a one mat doesn't mean we can't have success.

Dan Fates (16:51)

Yeah. I don't care what he says.

Mike Catalana (16:52)

Yeah, he knows one.

Dan Fates (16:54)

It was also. There was a shot of digs. There's a. There's shade about the selflessness.

Jenna Cottrell (17:00)

Yeah, I think, I think it was very subtle. You. You don't think it was subtle?

Dan Fates (17:06)

I don't think that was.

Mike Catalana (17:07)

I don't think it was like we're taking a shot. It's just. This is what their mindset is. What they want is a player who doesn't need all that to become then hopefully a player who will at times act like a diva because he's that good, because it's hard to find the wide receiver that doesn't act that way. But I think they. They want the production. It doesn't necessarily all fall on one guy that they bring in because that's. That's a hard thing to ask for from any rookie as of right now.

Dan Fates (17:38)

And again, like. Comment. Subscribe Comment in with what you think about Brandon Bean's comments about not needing a true number one wide receiver. If they can just be selfless and versatile and all of these things. We were driving back from Buffalo today, Mike, you and I thought we were kind of talking about it while we had lunch. They have a bottom five wide receiver room as it starts right now.

Mike Catalana (18:01)

And listen, I think, first of all, let's take the tight end out of there, though. I think he's a very good pass catcher and he's going to be among the top catchers at the position. But in terms of wide receiver room, what's worse, you have Curtis Samuel, who has been an okay player in the league, albeit with bad quarterback play or average most of his career. You have Khalil Shakir, who we all like, who moved into that role of more of a third receiver.

Dan Fates (18:33)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (18:33)

Maybe he progresses beyond that, which would be great. His numbers, based on the Amount of targets were good, but, like, you're. You're hoping that he can eventually evolve into a number two type player, right? That's. That would be the ceiling, I think. I don't think anybody thinks Khalil Shakir is a number one guy.

Dan Fates (18:50)

Yeah, I think. I think asking him to be a number two is a lot.

Mike Catalana (18:53)

You can hope that he evolves into that. Maybe he doesn't.

Jenna Cottrell (18:56)

And I think the point needs to be mentioned when people are like, well, Shakir had a really great. End of the season. He's emerging. He can become a two or a one.

Dan Fates (19:03)

Oh, you're gonna steal my point.

Jenna Cottrell (19:05)

Oh, about.

Dan Fates (19:06)

Go for it.

Jenna Cottrell (19:06)

Okay. All right. Well, with Diggs no longer being on the field, that changes how a defense will prepare. And so, whereas.

Mike Catalana (19:13)

Yeah. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I was.

Jenna Cottrell (19:14)

Whereas you would have. Yeah, you're gonna.

Mike Catalana (19:16)

I apologize.

Dan Fates (19:17)

All the comments are gonna go crazy.

Mike Catalana (19:18)

They're gonna blame it on you.

Dan Fates (19:23)

Absolutely hate when we cut Jenna off. Oh, my gosh. I can't wait. I don't know what time code this is going to be, but it's all going to be like, these guys are so annoying. Let Jenna talk. That's what all the comments could be.

Jenna Cottrell (19:33)

But my point was the fact that defenses will change, and when you don't have Stefan Diggs on your team in the game, then other players will get a lot more attention. So I've been impressed with what Khalil Shakira has done, but will that change when defenses change and get inevitably harder around him if there's another guy that's not there to decoy or distract or be another target? See, now you're gonna do that, and that pisses me off.

Mike Catalana (19:59)

We didn't even need to say anything.

Jenna Cottrell (20:01)

That.

Mike Catalana (20:02)

It was just.

Dan Fates (20:03)

It was.

Mike Catalana (20:03)

We just wanted to make sure you had completed your point where we good. We were good.

Dan Fates (20:08)

We weren't gonna cut her off this time, I swear. But I would say.

Mike Catalana (20:15)

Yes. Digs around them, people. There's attention on digs, but also now there's more targets out there, so it can balance a little bit. But my point is. Come on. I mean, Mac Hollins, like, this is who they have. Oh, and.

Dan Fates (20:32)

I'll say it together. Three, two, one.

Jenna Cottrell (20:35)

Justin, shorter.

Mike Catalana (20:36)

I was gonna let you guys have it.

Dan Fates (20:37)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (20:38)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (20:38)

I mean, it was his birthday yesterday, so Happy birthday. I think somebody commented in, and I'm gullible, so I'll be like, yeah, happy birthday, Justin.

Mike Catalana (20:45)

Yeah, so you gotta try. But they. None of these guys either. Have never accomplished anything, have only Accomplished to a point. Like they need wide receivers.

Dan Fates (20:52)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (20:52)

I think they need a veteran to go with this group.

Dan Fates (20:55)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (20:56)

Odell, it was his birthday yesterday. He was born in the year 2000.

Dan Fates (21:01)

Oh, who was that Makes me Justin Shorter. So old.

Mike Catalana (21:05)

I hope Justin Shorter is really good.

Jenna Cottrell (21:07)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (21:07)

Because then we can look back on all this and say, see, we were ahead of everybody. Yeah, yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (21:12)

We love being ahead of it. And if we weren't, we won't mention it.

Dan Fates (21:16)

No.

Mike Catalana (21:16)

But I'm saying is their wide receiver room is just not good at the moment. They need two. There are going to be two people brought into this wide receiver room that are on the active roster week one. That's the way I look at it.

Dan Fates (21:29)

Oh, absolutely.

Mike Catalana (21:29)

A rookie and a veteran that they bring in and certainly at least the rookie they're going to draft. So, I mean, it's, it is a glaring need. And, and they, you know, everybody knows it, but that's fine. You can still get player even if everybody knows it, you can go out and get them.

Jenna Cottrell (21:45)

So Brandon Bean did say that this year he has more first round draft grades than he did a season ago, but that's still not 28.

Dan Fates (21:53)

He doesn't have 28.

Jenna Cottrell (21:54)

He does not have 28. Which he's always said in the past that. And, and here is where things do get interesting because a lot of people, they do have the ability, if they wanted to, to move back. And Bean even talked about the difference between the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round are a lot closer together in terms of talent wise than where you're at at the end of that second round compared to the end of the first round.

Mike Catalana (22:19)

So let me ask you this. You're Brandon Bean. You're sitting there at 28. You have four receivers that you have second round grades on, high second round or good second round grades on. You're at 28, you might have a defensive end that you had maybe again a similar number on it, but you're sitting there at 28 and for whatever reason, you can't trade back or you can't get anything early in the second round. Nobody wants to, whatever. You can't wait till 60. The chances are those receivers are gone. Is it better to, while you always want to maximize what you get, get your guy, say it's Makoni.

Dan Fates (23:00)

Take your guy.

Mike Catalana (23:01)

Do you just take him at 28?

Dan Fates (23:03)

Take your guy.

Mike Catalana (23:04)

Right. I mean, yes, it's cheaper. There's the whole fifth year thing and all that that goes with it, but if you Sit there and go, there's nobody. There's nobody. If Latu, the guy from ucla is on the board and you have clearly have him as a number one guy, then maybe you try to move up from 60 and get higher up and get the wide receiver and you just have to take the guy and then you wait on the receiver. But unless you have like eight guys ranked in the second round and you think the chances are pretty good one of them is there, that's a long way to wait from 28 to 60.

Dan Fates (23:36)

It's a, it's a really good point. On top of that, we've been to enough combines, talk to enough people that like, the first round kind of ends at like 20.

Mike Catalana (23:46)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (23:47)

Like, like the end of the first round is the second round. So if you have a second round grade on McConkey, but don't think that he's going to make it to 60, or if you like Xavier Legate, like, if those are your guys, take them there. Yeah. Because I would, I guess, in my opinion, especially the position that the Bills are in, being at the end of the first round, being a perennial playoff team now at this point, like, get your guy. If you have to overpay, if you draft him a little bit higher than what he's mocked or what people think it is, screw it, get your guy. Because you don't want to get caught with, then all of a sudden not having what you want or not even filling your need.

Mike Catalana (24:27)

Right. And you end up taking a player again if you. If it can. That was second round.

Jenna Cottrell (24:34)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (24:34)

Yes.

Dan Fates (24:35)

Just that comparison works for third. Third round grades.

Mike Catalana (24:39)

Even Greg Rousseau.

Dan Fates (24:41)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (24:42)

Was late in the round where we were picking 30 that year.

Jenna Cottrell (24:44)

I believe so. Yeah.

Mike Catalana (24:46)

And you took him. He's a good player again. He's a starting defensive end for this team. You get a starting player at 28 or 30, that's good.

Dan Fates (24:54)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (24:55)

You're in the NFL. So if you like the receiver and if you were able to get him at 41. Yeah, I know you don't want to take him, but unless you can get to back and still get them, I don't know. They need him. They put themselves in a spot where they, they need that position.

Jenna Cottrell (25:10)

Absolutely, absolutely.

Mike Catalana (25:12)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (25:12)

No doubt about it. Well, I was interested in asking Bean, like, how much do you weigh Josh Allen's opinion? Because that to me is someone that's obviously the face of the franchise. The franchise and the guy that realistically will be throwing the ball, like how much do you put emphasis on that? And Bean was, you know, obviously, we take what Josh has into account. Josh doesn't know the medicals on the. A lot of these guys, but I did think. I want to know what you guys think, too. It was interesting when Josh was talking and he said, yeah, last year I texted being on draft day, just Dalton Kincaid. That was the text. Dalton Kincaid, huh?

Mike Catalana (25:48)

Now, keep in mind, at that point, they had talked to Josh about Dalton Kincaid. Yeah, he knew the Bills were interested in him and he was in. And, and, and look, that's a good draft pick. Yeah, he's a. He's a really good player and I think he'll help them a lot. But I don't know. No one asked him. He wouldn't have given the answer anyhow. But like, I wanted.

Jenna Cottrell (26:11)

I wanted to ask, obviously you wouldn't tell us, but do you have a favorite in this year? And he would have probably given that.

Mike Catalana (26:19)

Like Rome a dunz.

Dan Fates (26:23)

I do have some concerns and we see it a lot. Like, obviously we. Justin Shorter could be a future pro Bowler. Like, he. All these things I have concerns about to Jenna's point, which is what we were talking about at lunch, of like, yes, Dalton Kincaid was a nice, nice season, really good season. Now you're going to get more attention. And there's a lot of people I see out there, like when I tweeted out the. The bean bite about him saying, you don't need a number one wide receiver to be successful. You can spread it around. And people are saying, well, Dalton Kincaid is going to be the number one target. There will be more attention on Kincaid. And like, this thought of like, well, Kelsey was the number one target for the Chiefs and they made that work. Comparing or hoping that you think Dalton Kincaid is going to be. Travis Kelsey is a very lofty hope. And Jenna, what do I like to say? You can hope in one hand and shit in another and see which one fills up first.

Mike Catalana (27:22)

Is that was your dad's.

Jenna Cottrell (27:24)

So.

Mike Catalana (27:24)

No. Who. Who had. No, your dad had the.

Jenna Cottrell (27:27)

Yeah. Yeah. How many times do you have to get hit in the face with a sack of. Before you start to smell something?

Dan Fates (27:32)

Yeah, Bleedbud's gonna be good on this one. But yeah, like that. That's my only concern. Like, I looked it up. Over the last 10 seasons, there have been 23 seasons that a tight end has had over a thousand yards and Travis Kelce has seven of them. Yeah, there's only been. Gronk had multiple. Greg Olson had multiple. Like last year, there was one.

Mike Catalana (27:55)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (27:56)

One tight end had a thousand yards. So this Thought of like, well, you just. It's a phys one, it's a physically demanding position. It is tough. But like guys that you see as perennial tight ends, your Mark Andrews, your Greg Kdels, your George Kittle, your Travis Kelce, like even Ertz has only done it once.

Mike Catalana (28:17)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (28:17)

Like it's not easy to just be like well, your tight end, your number one guy, Jimmy Graham, I always thought of as like the most wide receiver tight end of all time. Had two seasons of a thousand yards and that was on a, that was on a Saints pass happy offense with Drew Bre.

Mike Catalana (28:34)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (28:34)

And I know what people will say because you, you said it too. I get the NFL has changed and like it is definitely more pass forward but I'm just going off the last 10 years.

Jenna Cottrell (28:42)

No, I hear you. I mean I think that's an important notion because you just say like, oh well, Dalton Concade, he'll be the guy, you know, a thousand yards for him and then when you look up the numbers to back it up now there is obviously more involvement in the tight end position as of the last, you know, 10 years, five years. Yeah, whatever you want to say. But that is important to note because I think here is where, and I don't want to speak for you, but I think this is where Dan got very, I don't want to say defensive, but we, I think it's easy for us to be like, well this guy gets this many catches and that guy gets this many catches and that makes up for the thousand yard season that Stefan Diggs had. When you actually break it down, that is a challenge because it is the NFL and it's not easy to just say here's a thousand yards for that guy. That is honestly a testament to how good Diggs is. And the Bills will have to find a way whether that be through committee or whether that be through drafting a guy. Hopefully it's a combination of mo of both and more. But it. You, you can't just find that on trees.

Dan Fates (29:39)

And, and I appreciate you defending me and standing up for me defending you being defensive. Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (29:46)

How did we get here?

Dan Fates (29:47)

But that's also part of what the take or my stance on Gabe Davis was, was that everybody just assumed he did this. So then he's going to go to here and then he's going to go to here and then he's going to go to here. And development in progress isn't always linear. So to say, well this is what he did last year in this sample size and if you expand the sample Size we then he's obviously going to be more. That's not how like pro sports work.

Jenna Cottrell (30:12)

I. I agree. I think two things. One, I think for fans, you've seen Josh Allen be able to push the goal post back.

Dan Fates (30:20)

Josh is. Is an anomaly in a lot of ways.

Jenna Cottrell (30:22)

I agree. But when you see it, it makes you think that that's what can be done.

Mike Catalana (30:26)

It can be.

Dan Fates (30:28)

I'm not sitting here saying Don and Kate's not gonna have a thousand yards next season. I'm saying be. I'm wary because the history of tight ends is that it's hasn't been done a lot.

Mike Catalana (30:38)

So 73 catches for 673 yards. So if you add.

Dan Fates (30:43)

It was a slow start.

Mike Catalana (30:44)

If you add another. What is that 27 catches at 10 yards of catch is 270 yards. So you're up to just under a thousand.

Jenna Cottrell (30:53)

Yeah, just under a thousand.

Mike Catalana (30:55)

So. Yes. Could he have a hundred catches for 900?

Dan Fates (30:58)

Yes. And I agree.

Mike Catalana (30:59)

And also keep my mind. It's a tight end. You're talking about 9 yards of catch, 10 yards of catch for most of them. So your wide receivers, you're hoping to get in the teens and above if you can, if you can replicate that. And it's fine to have that. Some of that production of digs can even go more to Kincaid.

Dan Fates (31:18)

Yep.

Jenna Cottrell (31:19)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (31:19)

But it's, it's. I, I don't know. We're not. We're making a point that everybody there knows they have a glaring need at wide receiver. They just do.

Jenna Cottrell (31:25)

It's also grain of sand or grain of salt point in the season where like when Bean says you have to put a grain of salt, like it's like okay, you don't. Yes, you're okay.

Mike Catalana (31:34)

Yeah. Because he's got him fooled. Well, I just mean the teams around him are going well.

Dan Fates (31:39)

We don't need. Buffalo doesn't need a wide receiver. Bean said they don't need a widers either one.

Mike Catalana (31:44)

It is funny when you look at the teams that are looking to take the wide receivers, they either don't have a quarterback or have one that's not good. Or it could be like Chicago where they have two high picks.

Dan Fates (31:53)

Yep.

Mike Catalana (31:54)

So they're going to take the quarterback and then maybe take the receiver. I'm at the Giants taking a receiver. They got Daniel Jones and then you're talking about Arizona taking one. They got Kyler Murray like at some point, like whatever. I mean, you don't have Josh Allen.

Dan Fates (32:08)

Yeah. Yeah.

Mike Catalana (32:08)

So it the other teams. I mean, Kansas City was An anomaly last year.

Dan Fates (32:14)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (32:14)

They had a phenomenal defense. You got Patrick Mahomes, you have Travis Kelce, you have Andy Reid. And it was still. It was tight as can be, but they found a way. They are a great team to win. But I guarantee you and Brett Veach is looking at this draft. He's gone. Let's get Mahomes a stud.

Dan Fates (32:31)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (32:31)

Let's get Mahomes another receiver.

Dan Fates (32:34)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (32:34)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (32:34)

And for everybody that watched the Matt Miller video, I thought that was good insight. Caught up with him. ESPN draft analyst there as well as. I appreciate the comments. Dunesay.

Mike Catalana (32:48)

Yes, I did it.

Dan Fates (32:49)

So I said it three different ways, all incorrectly. And I just was coming. Yeah. But I was going. Dunzier.

Mike Catalana (32:56)

He went.

Dan Fates (32:57)

I was adding an extra syllable and I was going all over.

Jenna Cottrell (32:59)

I'm not gonna lie. I heard it, but I wasn't confident enough.

Mike Catalana (33:02)

Yes. It was spelled right.

Jenna Cottrell (33:05)

I asked Dan how to spell something today.

Dan Fates (33:08)

It was comical.

Mike Catalana (33:10)

Texas wide receiver.

Dan Fates (33:14)

No.

Jenna Cottrell (33:14)

Yes. AD Nai Adni. AD Nai Mitchell.

Mike Catalana (33:17)

AD we just like AD But Adnai.

Jenna Cottrell (33:19)

ADNAI.

Dan Fates (33:20)

That's the other thing too that's coming around this year now.

Jenna Cottrell (33:23)

Like Diggs.

Dan Fates (33:25)

Yeah. Reports that he has. He's a type 1 diabetic and that he wasn't.

Mike Catalana (33:30)

I didn't see that.

Dan Fates (33:31)

That he doesn't necessarily take the best care of himself with that and that when he gets low blood sugar and things like that, he could be moody.

Jenna Cottrell (33:38)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (33:39)

That doesn't pay attention. I also think that the NFL, you have tons of support staff and that's your full time job of. Of making sure you're on top of your medical.

Mike Catalana (33:48)

It's also. No, go ahead.

Jenna Cottrell (33:49)

I don't want to interrupt you. Grain of salt season. Some stuff you never know about. What.

Mike Catalana (33:56)

Just throwing it out.

Jenna Cottrell (33:57)

Yeah. And how.

Dan Fates (33:58)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (33:58)

If I was. Are you done? I mean if I was a team I'd want to know what the maturity level of the guy is because we're going to talk to him, we're going to help him, we're going to get him to that place where he's physically taking care of himself. It was interesting to hear Bean talk about the visits. I think what they like with the visits is getting the guy in the place, seeing how much they can pick up seeing that. And that that to me is. That's no BS when they're saying that.

Dan Fates (34:27)

They like them on the board, they.

Mike Catalana (34:28)

Go, can you do this? What would you do this? Yes. And I think they learn a lot there. So. And for a wide receiver, you got to know the Playbook, you got to know. And you also have to get, you know, they do like a player who can be part of the offense without always being the focus of the offense. Whether that's blocking, running solid routes while the ball's going to go somewhere else. You know, you better be Wayne Gretzky not back checking to be. Not having to do the other stuff. Right. If you're a wide receiver that they're not really worried about any. Like nobody cares if Tyreek Hill can block.

Jenna Cottrell (35:02)

Yeah.

Mike Catalana (35:03)

Because he flies.

Dan Fates (35:04)

Correct.

Mike Catalana (35:04)

But with other players you got to be able to do it all. And I think that's the kind of stuff. Is they coachable? Can they figure out the offense? Because the physical skill to Is pretty obvious.

Jenna Cottrell (35:15)

Yeah. No, I agree.

Mike Catalana (35:16)

The players.

Jenna Cottrell (35:17)

I did think it was an interesting note. Bills had done all 30 top.

Mike Catalana (35:22)

Yeah.

Jenna Cottrell (35:22)

Top 30 visits. So they used all of them.

Dan Fates (35:24)

Yeah. Bean said his board's pretty much set.

Mike Catalana (35:27)

Not 28. I'm gonna say he has 22.

Jenna Cottrell (35:32)

Last year I believe he had 18.

Mike Catalana (35:34)

18, huh?

Dan Fates (35:35)

And he said he had more.

Mike Catalana (35:36)

He said he had more.

Dan Fates (35:37)

So maybe it's 20.

Mike Catalana (35:38)

She's 22 is where I have them trading to the Eagles.

Jenna Cottrell (35:42)

That is very interesting.

Dan Fates (35:44)

I think they traded 12. I think they go up to 12.

Jenna Cottrell (35:47)

That's.

Mike Catalana (35:48)

Hey, let me tell you something.

Dan Fates (35:50)

Bean said that he doesn't like trading away, doesn't like the thought of trading a future first round pick, but said if it made sense. Quote, heck yeah.

Mike Catalana (36:01)

Here's the other thing. I asked him a question because I'm always curious about this. I said if you are trading a future pick, how do you. How is it judged?

Jenna Cottrell (36:11)

That was a good question.

Mike Catalana (36:12)

And it's a. Around higher. A better pick. So if it would normally be this year would be a third. It would be around two pick.

Dan Fates (36:21)

No. I thought he said it was the other way.

Mike Catalana (36:24)

No, because you're getting it a year later. So if you said if in this year you would say we'll give you a three to move up. If you're going to trade me next year's pick, it's going to be a two. Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Dan Fates (36:36)

Correct. Yes, I said I was viewing it as if you get. If you're trading away next year's second, it's viewed as a third to the team that's accepting the pick. Because it's a. It's a. It's around worse than what it is. It's the same math.

Mike Catalana (36:54)

They're viewing it that way, correct?

Dan Fates (36:56)

Yeah, we're. We're viewing it the same way.

Mike Catalana (36:58)

Yeah. So they say like, okay, like if on the chart it would be worth. So it'd be, oh, we move you here because it's this. Because the bills are perennial 20s draft team. Right. So the other team's looking at it.

Jenna Cottrell (37:11)

Going, yeah, it's your second round pick. But.

Mike Catalana (37:14)

But it's.

Jenna Cottrell (37:14)

Realistically your second round pick is almost a third round pick of the third.

Mike Catalana (37:19)

Yeah.

Dan Fates (37:19)

Yes.

Jenna Cottrell (37:20)

So that Minnesota second round pick, that's a.

Mike Catalana (37:23)

That is a very valuable.

Jenna Cottrell (37:26)

That is quite a chip.

Dan Fates (37:27)

That's his ace up his sleeve.

Mike Catalana (37:28)

Yeah, it'd be great to have that. It also puts the Bills to next year in play because you know, depending on how much they're moving, you already have a second round pick and it's like likely going to be a better pick than the Bills pick. So it is nice to have that two twos. Yeah. Well, you don't know how Minnesota is going to be. I don't expect them. You know, they're going through a transition at quarterback, but yeah, you never know.

Jenna Cottrell (37:54)

Anything else?

Dan Fates (37:55)

No.

Jenna Cottrell (37:55)

We mentioned Justin Shorter, so.

Mike Catalana (37:57)

Yes, we got that taken care of. Special show 7:30-8 on Thursday, the night of the draft, leading into the draft. So that'll be fun. And Jen and I will be up there being.

Jenna Cottrell (38:10)

Michael will be in the studio.

Mike Catalana (38:12)

Yes, I'll be.

Jenna Cottrell (38:13)

You're gonna be so lonely. Who will you talk to?

Mike Catalana (38:17)

I just talk to myself. Yeah, I think there's a Sixers playoff game that night too. Sixers, Knicks.

Jenna Cottrell (38:23)

Be just yelling. All right. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. Please be sure to like, comment, subscribe as well as share the podcast. If you enjoy our stuff, we'll have plenty more coverage as we get ready for the NFL draft a week from tonight. Plenty of coverage. We'll also have our. That was so embarrassing. We'll also have our picks on who we expect.

Mike Catalana (38:47)

He interrupted you.

Jenna Cottrell (38:49)

He didn't mean to. He just. That was on a.

Mike Catalana (38:52)

Now if I did that, it would be. Look at the old man. What's she doing?

Jenna Cottrell (38:57)

So what?

Mike Catalana (38:58)

Really?

Jenna Cottrell (38:58)

What should we say to him?

Mike Catalana (39:00)

Here's Dan.

Jenna Cottrell (39:04)

All right, bye, everyone. Thank you for watching Buffalo plus, presented by Connors and Ferris.

Mike Catalana (39:09)

What is it again? Buffalo.

Dan Fates (39:22)

Buffalo plus, your interactive look at the week in football, brought to you by Connors and Ferris.

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Mike Catalana (39:43)

Thanks.

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