Buffalo Plus Podcast: The Bills Vet with the Most Pressure & the Training Camp Battles We Want to See

Date: June 22, 2022
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the most intriguing position battles as the Buffalo Bills head to training camp, identifies which veteran core player is under the most pressure to perform in 2022, and discusses the bets the team is most excited to make. The conversation features the signature candid banter between hosts Mike, Jenna, and Dan, all delivering informed insight from their years covering the Bills.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Training Camp Battles to Watch

• Wide Receiver Depth & Uncertainty

  • The hosts agree the Bills’ WR room is deep but uncertain after Diggs and Davis.
  • Jenna: “There are so many options, or there’s so many variations... Maybe this is a week by week kind of thing as we see going forward.” (02:32)
  • Veterans like Tavon Austin and Jameson Crowder are fighting for roster spots, and rookie Khalil Shakir could complicate numbers.
  • Cutting a “good player, maybe a veteran player” at camp is inevitable (03:28).
  • Dan: “There’s a steep drop off after Gabe Davis in NFL production.” (04:33)
  • The need for depth is stressed: last season, Josh Allen played the most snaps in 10 personnel (four WRs on the field) (06:51).

• Running Back: True Open Competition

  • Dan is “super excited about the running back position,” seeing real uncertainty about who emerges as the starter. (08:07)
  • Devin Singletary closed last season strong, but Zach Moss and rookie James Cook could disrupt the status quo.
  • Mike: “We haven’t seen a guy like Cook in this offense... Things could be different this year.” (10:02)

• Cornerback Battle: Dane Jackson vs. Kair Elam

  • Tre’Davious White’s return from injury creates opportunity opposite him; Dane Jackson has been highly praised by coaches, but it’s “a fight to have a roster spot this year” (12:17).
  • The hosts joke about coaches using the media as a “mouthpiece” to send messages to players (13:08).
  • Lots of “first-in, last-out” locker room tropes—“If I hear about one more guy who’s the first in, last out…” (15:35)

• Defensive Line: High Draft Picks Under Pressure

  • The rotation is real, but now with Von Miller in the mix, former high draft picks like AJ Epenesa, Boogie Basham, and Greg Rousseau need to stand out.
  • Mike: “There’s a lot of competition there for playing time...At some point, they keep bringing in more talent.” (17:33)
  • Team may lean less on sheer depth if they find “four guys who can consistently stop the run and rush the passer” à la the Rams’ model (18:30).

• Backup QB? Not Much of a Battle

  • Keenum and Barkley are seen as clear choices based on locker room fit and experience (19:13).

2. Which Veteran Has the Most Pressure to Perform?

AJ Epenesa

• Dan’s pick: “I think A.J. is fighting for a roster spot more than he’s fighting for playing time... He seems like he’s been kind of lost with his weight, what kind of a pass rusher he’s going to be.” (21:54)

Dawson Knox

• Jenna’s pick: “He had a solid season, kind of a breakout season last year...can he be more consistent?...Can he take that next step?” (23:04)
• Contract year adds extra pressure.

Stefon Diggs

• Mike’s pick: “Now it’s really on him to create that for the rest of the offense...He’s a great player. He has proven it and he’s gotten paid. The reason I say there’s pressure on him is because Josh Allen...There’s pressure on Josh. There always is. But Diggs has a similar type of pressure.” (24:56)
• With Beasley and Sanders gone, defenses might zero in even more on Diggs; the expectation is he produces even when double-covered.

Tremaine Edmunds

• All hosts agree the linebacker enters a make-or-break season.
• Dan: “I think whether Tremaine Edmonds has a great year or a bad year, I think his time in Buffalo is over after this year...he’s almost auditioning for his next team.” (29:45)
• Comments that Edmonds is “a really good player” but perhaps not at the impact level expected for his draft status; questions about whether he is truly core to the defense.
• Discussion over whether his “impact” is as large as players like Von Miller, Ed Oliver, Milano, the safeties, or Taron Johnson (off-2021 roster) (33:34).

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On WR Depth:
  “There’s going to be a good player, maybe a veteran player cut in training camp. You can’t keep them all.” – Mike (03:28)

• On Roster Uncertainty and Week-to-Week Roles:
  “Maybe this is a week by week kind of thing as we see going forward.” – Jenna (02:32)

• On McDermott’s Coachspeak:
  “If I hear about one more guy who’s the first in, last out, I’m like, is there this huge line where everybody’s there together walking in and walking out?” – Mike (15:35)

• On Diggs’ Pressure:
  “They need more from him this year.” – Mike (27:27)
  “There are going to be some times where it’s: throw me the ball. I’m in double coverage and you still gotta force it to him.” – Dan (26:28)

• On Tremaine Edmunds:
  “Apparently, he gets them in and out of the huddle phenomenally, which is, to me, the biggest backhanded compliment that a coach can give anybody.” – Dan (33:34)

4. Fun Banter & Human Moments

• Light-hearted golf and award banter among the hosts (14:39–15:12).
• Chili’s in Jacksonville revealed as hosts’ “favorite” spot, recounting survival stories from less-than-glamorous away games (42:31).
• Jenna jokes about relying more on Mike's opinion than Dan’s:
  “Like there was like, I’m sitting here being like, I agree with Mike. And Jenna’s like, yeah, I agree with Mike. I don’t agree with Dan.” (27:46)

5. Betting and Futures Talk

• Bets Host Are Eyeing (36:01):
  • Josh Allen MVP (+700):
    “So much of MVP guys, isn’t it also the story?... It would just be kind of that, like, fitting toast... and then comes back and plays well and wins the MVP.” – Dan (36:28)
  • Bills Over 11.5 Wins:
    “I like the over a lot this year...I think he’s on them about that (Jacksonville loss).” – Mike (38:08)
  • Division Futures: Bills to win the AFC East – heavy favorites, Dolphins are the second favorite (40:20).
  • Player Props: Over on Dawson Knox and Gabe Davis touchdowns.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Training Camp Battles Begin: 00:23–06:01
• Wide Receiver Depth/Competition: 01:04–07:59
• Running Back Battle: 08:07–11:24
• Cornerback Battle (Dane Jackson/Elam): 11:24–16:32
• Defensive Line/Rotation: 16:35–18:30
• Backup QB Room: 18:30–20:03
• Veterans Under Most Pressure: 20:21–36:01
  • Epenesa (20:46), Knox (23:04), Diggs (24:55), Edmunds (28:46)
• Bets and Futures: 36:01–42:31

Summary Table of Key Battles & Players Under Pressure

| Position Battle | Main Players/Controversy | Insight/Pressure Point | |------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | WR Depth | Davis, Crowder, Austin, Shakir | Roles fluid, key veterans at risk of getting cut, lack of production after Davis | | RBs | Singletary, Moss, Cook | True open battle, style of offense an open question | | Cornerback | Dane Jackson vs. Kair Elam | Jackson praised, but team is betting on Elam; real fight for starting job | | D-Line | Epenesa, Basham, Rousseau, Miller| High draft picks need to stand out, Miller changes dynamic | | Veteran Pressure | Stefan Diggs, Dawson Knox, Epenesa, Edmunds | Each faces unique pressure based on role, expectations, contract |

Final Thoughts

The hosts emphasize how, despite the Bills’ status as Super Bowl favorites, competition is fierce throughout the roster. From the top down—Diggs, Edmonds, and Knox must prove themselves in new ways as expectations peak. Young players can expect to battle for snaps and even roster spots. And though the core is strong, no one is immune from risk, as the WR group illustrates. As training camp looms, Buffalo’s depth is its greatest asset and, paradoxically, biggest source of intrigue.

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