What's NEXT for the BILLS? Free agent TARGETS, O-Line and Dawson Knox DECISIONS

Summary

Buffalo Plus Podcast: What's NEXT for the BILLS? Free Agent TARGETS, O-Line and Dawson Knox DECISIONS

Date: March 3, 2026
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fates

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Episode Overview

This episode of Buffalo Plus dives into key Buffalo Bills offseason storylines, with the trio analyzing free agent targets (especially at wide receiver), decisions on the offensive line, and the future of tight end Dawson Knox. With the NFL “legal tampering” period about to kick off and a busy combine behind them, the hosts share insider perspectives, explore roster construction philosophy, and debate the impact of recent rumors. The dynamic between Jenna, Mike, and Dan keeps the episode lively, personal, and informative for die-hard fans.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. NFL Combine Recap and Offseason Transition

• The team returns from the NFL Combine, sharing stories and setting the stage for “legal tampering” (free agency) (07:04).
• Observations include shifts in Combine networking (less “bar talk”, more structured meetings) and personal anecdotes on travel fears and pilot encounters (01:01–06:56).

2. Wide Receiver Market: Free Agency & Trade Targets

• Discussion centers on reported Bills targets: Rashid Shaheed (Saints), Romeo Doubs (Packers), and potential big names like Mike Evans.
• Mike Catalana emphasizes cost concerns:
  “I think these guys, in theory, would be really good. Their issue is paying guys like that…. He’s not a star and he’s not cheap… Would he make it a better wide receiver room? Yeah, I think so. So would Shaheed.” (07:32)
• Dan Fates highlights draft over free agency for true WR1:
  “Free agency is not the place to look for a high impact wide receiver.” (09:47)
• The crew stresses that most elite WRs rarely hit the open market; impact requires a “multiple approach”—add both a veteran and a high draft pick for the best results (11:51).
• Jenna Cottrell advocates for depth and competition: “If you’re signing a free agent, that means you’re still drafting at one of the top three or four picks a wide receiver. There needs to be more talent, but there also needs to be a little bit of the bodies approach.” (11:51)

3. Mike Evans as a Fit for Buffalo

• The hosts debate whether Mike Evans would leave Tampa and if he’d fit in Buffalo both on-field and in the locker room.
• Dan Fates: “He’s a future Hall of Famer… Even when he missed two or three games, he still had a thousand yards… That’s the type of consummate pro.” (12:43)
• Mike Catalana: “I’d always wanted Mike Evans, that type of player on the Bills. I just think his skill set just works for them… and I don’t think the money would be crazy, especially a one-year type of deal.” (15:10–15:57)
• Jenna Cottrell pushes for a double-dip: “And I’m still saying that… it takes away the pressure that that receiver has to have the immediate impact.” (16:32)

4. Draft, Trade, or Stay the Course? Philosophies and Caution

• The group evaluates the merits of adding depth through draft picks versus pricey free agents.
• Comparison made to past examples:
  • Vikings trading Stefon Diggs for Justin Jefferson
  • Titans’ infamous A.J. Brown deal
  • Chargers (Josh Palmer) and Packers (Romeo Doubs) letting WRs walk without much resistance (24:17–24:39)
• Dan Fates tempers expectations on what free agency offers:
  “My expectation is not that they’re getting some number one guy… I really think that the number one guy will be—should be—drafted and not necessarily signed in free agency.” (22:13)

5. Dawson Knox Contract & Future

• Detailed debate on Knox’s current contract and the likely need to restructure, incentivize, or even move on after drafting Kincaid and Hawes.
• Mike Catalana: “He’s overpaid for what he is for this team. So they need to adjust that. I know they will. They’re going to do something with it. And I know he wants to stay. The question is, at what number is it?” (25:05)
• Dan Fates: “I’d like to see it, you know, with a ton of incentives… That’s where I would hope it ends up.” (26:54)
• Jenna Cottrell observes: “Honestly, when they even signed his. That contract, I was like, wow, that’s a big number. And then the next year, they drafted over him, obviously.” (26:46)
• Consensus: Knox probably returns, but not at his current pay, with a deal structure mirroring Matt Milano’s recent contract.

6. Offensive Line Decisions: Retaining Core or Turning the Page?

• Bills have big OL decisions, especially at guard (Edwards, McGovern) and center. The group questions whether replacements like Alec Anderson or rookie depth (Van Pran-Granger, Tylen Grable) are ready.
• Jenna Cottrell: “I just think Alec Anderson is a fiery, passionate dude… but I want my center to be calm, cool, collected…” (33:25)
• Dan Fates raises a key issue: “It is a delicate balance between being that backup… but when you’re consistently in there… it’s a different level of expectation and a different level of pressure.” (37:02)
• Faith in Aaron Kromer’s coaching is mentioned, but the need to maintain a “fastball” OL in front of Josh Allen is paramount.
• Expectation: Edwards may have priced himself out of Buffalo; McGovern is more likely to return; Torrence could be in line for a preemptive extension (38:34).

7. Combine “Stock Up/Down” & Interview Impressions

• The hosts debate the value of on-field Combine testing versus years of college production.
• Mike Catalana: “Let’s also be honest. We’re sitting there watching it. It’s in a sprinter’s stance… It’s a sterile environment…” (43:45)
• Notable moments include:
  • Defending players like Casey Concepcion for handling adversity in interviews/public settings with a speech impediment (40:53–41:27).
  • Lighter moments about media interactions, blocking people on social, and being recognized by fans.

8. Final Thoughts, Shoutouts & Upcoming Topics

• Quick, lighthearted off-topic discussions about self-checkouts, fans’ “meet and greet” experiences, and shoutouts to listeners and community members.
• Sneak preview of deeper O-line discussion later in the week and a promised “life advice” segment (48:27).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Mike Catalana on WR Approach (07:32):
  "With a wide receiver, you either go big or you go small in free agency or trades. That's what I would like to see them do. The mid-level stuff doesn't work."
• Dan Fates on the nature of the WR market (09:47):
  "Free agency is not the place to look for a high impact wide receiver."
• Jenna Cottrell on team-building (11:51):
  "If you're signing a free agent, that means you're still drafting at one of the top three to four picks a wide receiver."
• On Dawson Knox (25:05):
  "He's overpaid for what he is for this team. So they need to adjust that." – Mike Catalana
• On combine overreaction (43:09):
  "How much do you factor in when you have somebody that has that much tape of an actual football game in their production? I don't put as much stock into that." – Dan Fates
• On Alec Anderson at center (33:25):
  "I just think Alec Anderson is a fiery, passionate dude... but I want my center to be calm, cool, collected. I just don't think that fits... I want someone even keel." – Jenna Cottrell

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Combine & Travel Anecdotes: 01:01–06:56
• Free Agent WR Targets & Market: 07:16–16:15
• Mike Evans Discussion: 12:43–18:30
• Draft vs. Free Agency Philosophy: 21:28–24:17
• Dawson Knox Free Agency & Contract Debate: 25:02–30:00
• Offensive Line Decisions – Edwards, McGovern, Anderson: 30:53–39:10
• Combine Testing & Player Interviews: 39:25–47:01
• Shoutouts and Listener Stories: 48:37–53:18

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Tone & Style

The episode retains the easygoing, conversational style characteristic of Buffalo Plus, with a blend of sharp analysis, personal anecdotes, and banter. The hosts often challenge each other, keep each other honest, and reference inside jokes and past episodes, contributing to both the depth and entertainment value of the discussion.

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Takeaways for Bills Fans

• The Bills wide receiver rebuild is likely to be a hybrid of a value veteran (possibly Mike Evans) and an early draft pick—don't expect a blockbuster WR1 to sign outright in free agency.
• The front office is under pressure to restructure expensive contracts like Dawson Knox’s while maintaining both offensive line continuity and cap compliance.
• OL continuity (especially at center/guard) remains a crucial offseason focus point; keeping McGovern is more probable than Edwards, and the team has less trust in untested depth than some fans may hope.
• The combine reinforces existing opinions more than it dramatically changes draft boards, but interview impressions and player mentality do matter to Bean & Co.
• Expect continued behind-the-scenes insight from Buffalo Plus as free agency approaches and more clarity emerges about the 2026 Bills roster.

For more, subscribe to Buffalo Plus and catch the pod’s deeper dives coming later this week!

Transcript

[Jenna Cottrell]

I would love him to be in Buffalo. Yeah, I think it would be great from the production but also just that veteran in that room. Everyone could learn from him and preach.

[Mike Catalana]

That's when you.

[Dan Fates]

Now from the Connors and Ferris podcast studio. This is the Buffalo plus podcast.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast. We're all back together. Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. Please be sure to like comment, subscribe and share. We're getting into NFL free agency is a week from today. We're going to talk about some of the players being linked to Buffalo as well as if some guys will be back with the Bills. A lot of names to talk about as well as Mike will have some shout outs. And also gentlemen, I gotta be honest, I missed you guys A. I did, I really did.

[Dan Fates]

Just lying through her teeth.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I'm not.

[Mike Catalana]

No. It was great that we were able to do it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Made some technical adjustments. Make sure we could do that. And it was fun. I will say, I know you have a little FOMO when you didn't go to Indy. I thought for us, Dan, it was a little less seeing everybody out than normal like we usually see. We saw a lot of the people obviously right there at the combine, but it was a little less of the non scheduled interviews in a bar.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Extracurricular.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, Much more lucky everybody went to the Pacers game on Tuesday, we found out. But we nobody like sat right with one another.

[Mike Catalana]

Excuse me, it was the Sixers game.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, that's right.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Again, it was cool to get to talk to, you know, Sam Monson, Mike Reese, Diana Rossini. Like all those were people that we've either wanted to have on as guests or people that have been friends of the channel and things like that. Diana Rossini, Big, big fan of the show. Big fan of the show. So. Yeah. And then it was nice to get back. Jenna held down the fort. Should you start with the, the. Should I do the pilot story?

[Mike Catalana]

Well, as you guys know, Dan has a little history of being a little. What's the phrase they use for little kids? Fraidy cat.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Freddy Cat a little scared when he

[Mike Catalana]

gets on the plane. It's bumpy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You're scared.

[Mike Catalana]

And we know he said I'm sorry

[Dan Fates]

that I don't like turbulence in a metal tube in guy.

[Mike Catalana]

We know he's had his pilot issues. We have the pilot.

[Dan Fates]

We have a pilot.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Who's tried to talk you down on some of that stuff. I don't know if it's worked.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He's scared.

[Mike Catalana]

So we were on a flight, but we've also.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, what about the other time? We were traveling somewhere and there were all the cancellations. We were talking to a pilot as we were walking.

[Mike Catalana]

That guy was cool. That guy was central casting.

[Dan Fates]

Central casting pilot. And we were talking about it, and he. Because I don't know how any of these cancellations, any stuff. He goes, I just moved the metal.

[Mike Catalana]

It's so good.

[Dan Fates]

I was like, it's a good line.

[Mike Catalana]

It is.

[Dan Fates]

I was like, that guy's been 30,

[Mike Catalana]

walking in his pilot outfit.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Cool outfit.

[Mike Catalana]

Very cool.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So what's your story?

[Dan Fates]

So we had a. A little bit bumpy flights on the way to Indy. Okay, okay, hold on.

[Mike Catalana]

Put me on camera. No, fine.

[Dan Fates]

Okay. They were a little bumpy flights heading to Indy. Also, I do want this on the record. I. I was never a bad flyer until I had kids, and I think that has, like, heightened my sense of, like, terrifying fear.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay, that's.

[Dan Fates]

Okay. So.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So we're still gonna make fun of you, but that's a little bit more fair.

[Dan Fates]

Okay, so if anybody is, like, doesn't love turbulence, like, comment in below, like, somebody's got to have my back. Of, like, I'm not a big fan of it. The worst one was for the.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm not a big. Nobody is a fan of turbulence. I just feel like your threshold for turbulence is like a bump, and you're like, oh, my God.

[Dan Fates]

No. But again, that guy, that. That flight that landed into Rochester, he was going to throw up. I wasn't that bad. I was just scared soft, too. Okay, so we've documented that the. And then it was before the flight to Denver when I was, like, researching that it's windy and all of those things going into the mountains, and Jenna's like, it's going to be a rough flight. And it was like, that was exactly what you told me the day before I was flying solo out there. That was not what I needed to hear. Anyway, we have this flight, and our flight from Indy to Detroit, I thought was the smoothest flight I've ever been on.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Wow.

[Dan Fates]

Okay, so we're walking out, and I have a little bit of that dad in me. It's when the waiter comes over and is like, did you like your food? And you're like, no, I hated it. Send it back. And your plate's empty. So I was just walking by, and,

[Mike Catalana]

you know, the pilot comes out of the cockpit and says thank you to everybody as they're leaving.

[Dan Fates]

Also, it's the flight deck.

[Mike Catalana]

Okay.

[Dan Fates]

Bridal back Me up here. Pilot will back me up here. And I just said to him, I go, that was the smoothest flight I've ever been on. And just, like, walking out. And everybody also, whenever we're. We're walking, Jenna, you or I are walking out. It's a nice camera you got there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, it's a big. It's a big camera you got there. What do you do? Use that? No pictures. No pictures. You're like, got it.

[Mike Catalana]

Okay, so here's Dan. Dan's walking out. The pilot comes out. He's greeting everybody, and Dan says, smoothest

[Dan Fates]

flight I've ever been on.

[Mike Catalana]

And the pilot, without hesitation says things.

[Dan Fates]

Is my first one. And I stopped in my tracks. And this guy looked 25.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, he was awesome, though.

[Dan Fates]

And he was like. I was like, what? And he goes, I'm just messing with you, man. I was like, pilots are so cool.

[Mike Catalana]

I know.

[Dan Fates]

Like, it's just an aura that a pilot has that's just like, my first one, he's like, yeah, I just took a metal tube in the sky and landed on the ground. Nope, no problem.

[Mike Catalana]

And he's like, let me mess with this dude.

[Dan Fates]

Because that was the other flight. I remember, Mike, that was the other flight that I walked by, and I was like, hey, was it was the bump. One of the bumpy ones? And I was like, was that tough? He looks at me and goes, older guy, central casting for. For a pilot. And goes, easy peasy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Which, again, I want my pilot to say that that's it.

[Dan Fates]

But that was the. The. The famous one is the one where we hit the turbulence at the one point. Yeah, I can't remember what flight it was, but it was. It was bumpy. Like, I. I think, like, a cabin opened up. Like one of the storage things, like,

[Jenna Cottrell]

popped open overhead bins.

[Dan Fates]

Yes, overhead.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All together.

[Dan Fates]

No, it was just Mike and I at one of the flights. And, like. But the pilot never got on, so I was like, oh, okay. Like, he's. He's focused. Or like, this didn't surprise him. And then he got on after. Was like, boy, that surprised me. You're like, I don't need to know that you in the air are surprised by anything. But Brian, our pilot, says sometimes you hit. You hit turbulence. You don't rough air that.

[Mike Catalana]

You know, this young pilot was not only good, he was funny, and he knew an easy mark when he saw you first.

[Dan Fates]

Thanks, man. It's my first time. I was, what?

[Jenna Cottrell]

So good. No, that's what you get.

[Dan Fates]

That was. And then, of course, I turn around and Mike's right behind.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, I'm just.

[Dan Fates]

Mike's like, oh, we're talking about that. The pod. So of course, that was our flight to Detroit and then it was easy flight back in.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay. Well, we love that.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Easy flight home. You guys had a lot of fun at the combine, but now up ahead, it's crazy how fast the NFL schedule works where it's like, all right, a week from today is the start of.

[Mike Catalana]

Is the start of legal tampering the league.

[Jenna Cottrell]

New year isn't technically until the 11th,

[Mike Catalana]

but, you know, legal tampering started at Elmos.

[Dan Fates]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

This past week.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

As Diana Rossini explained.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But there are a couple guys that have been linked to the Bills. Dan Graziano as well as Jeremy Fowler. Reports from ESPN that Raed Shahid as well as Romeo Dobs, both wide receivers have been names that have been linked to the Bills. Michael.

[Mike Catalana]

I like both players. I think they're both good players. I think it's going to cost you a lot of money. And that's been the Bill's problem. I think these guys, in theory, would be really good. Their issue is paying guys like that. I don't think either one is a great player. I think if you did not have Josh Palmer under contract, maybe I'd feel a little differently about it. I want to see them draft wide receivers high and I want to see them either. With a wide receiver, you either go big or you go small. In free agency or trades. That's what I would like to see them do. The mid level stuff doesn't work. I think Dobbs, at his age and what he's shown, I like the player. My worry is that you're going to be paying him again in his contract and he is a. He's not a star and he's not cheap either one. That's the only problem I have. Would he. Would he make it a better wide receiver room? Yeah, I think so. So would Shaheed.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

The issue is the cost of doing business at that position. When I heard Jeremy White on the radio this morning, he and Joe in Buffalo, and I think he said that Josh Palmer was the fifth highest paid number two receiver in the entire league because teams don't pay their second wide receiver that much money. Shakir's one and. And these guys would be two.

[Dan Fates]

Did you see the tweet from our good friend Carl Jones?

[Jenna Cottrell]

No.

[Dan Fates]

Okay. So since 2016, how many free agents that have reached free agency, how many wide receivers that have reached free agency have had a thousand yards in the season that they signed in.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, so few that are in free agents.

[Jenna Cottrell]

2016.

[Dan Fates]

So signed had a thousand yards that year.

[Mike Catalana]

Did Diggs have a thousand this year?

[Dan Fates]

He did.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He did.

[Dan Fates]

He's one of them.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. He just hit a thousand.

[Dan Fates]

Throw me a number.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm gonna. I, I feel like my Number's too low.

[Mike Catalana]

20. What?

[Dan Fates]

16?

[Mike Catalana]

I'm gonna say 5, 8, 7. Okay.

[Dan Fates]

So as Carl pointed out, friend of the. Friend of the channel friend of ours, free agency is not the place to look for a high impact wide receiver.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, it's also so expensive.

[Dan Fates]

The caliber of players don't hit the open market. And if they usually do, they've aged. Like, it's Diggs, it's. It's Hopkins, it's some of those guys,

[Mike Catalana]

like, they don't hit the open market. There are good receivers that are available, but you're trading assets for them, Correct? Right. You.

[Dan Fates]

You draft or trade for number one wide receivers.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So are you just out on either of those guys?

[Dan Fates]

No, no. But like when Mike says. And he goes Dobbs or Shaheed would raise the bill's wide receiver room to that, I'd say that's a low bar to clear. I think a lot of. A lot of bodies at this point would raise the, the floor of what this wide receiver room is. It's just like I said, I think Shahed's an interesting one because he was the free. At the trade deadline. It was like he was somebody that could be linked and whether the cost or the cap or whatever Bean wants to say, and it takes two to tango. He was a guy that. I thought that impact.

[Mike Catalana]

It's the trade deadline. Like you're just looking for that guy and there's not that many available. So you make that move. But now it's, now it's the off season, free agency, draft, you got a lot of options, right?

[Dan Fates]

And trade deadline, you're taking on that team's contract.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

That they decided to pay for him. So you're setting your evaluation. It's just, you know, I think a lot of people, and myself included, I don't even know if myself, but like, Alec Pierce is like the name and I talked to Matt Harmon that that's. That video is up on our YouTube channel right now. But just the fact of. I think he's gonna price himself out. And I think it's a lot of money to pay for a guy that had 46 catches. Like, I think there can be a regression in what you're going to. I think he may get. He's gonna get over 20 million. He may be in the 25 million range. And like we saw how that can kind of handcuff you like when you hit free agency and when you come to spending money around like Josh Palmer, that's around what he was making. So like, is that.

[Mike Catalana]

Do you.

[Dan Fates]

I don't. One, I don't think it's feasible. Two, I don't know if like that height matches what I think he's going to get paid.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I just worry that if you were to sign either Shahid or Dobbs, it's like, all right, we fixed it where it's like, no, no. And I've said this all off season. This is a multiple approach. If I'm the Bills and at wide receiver, I am. You're. If you're signing a free agent, that means you're still drafting at one of the top three to four picks a wide receiver. Like, there needs to be more talent, but there also needs to be a little bit of the body's approach of like, hey, let's just get guys in here because I think we've seen what the floor of that room is. But I feel like with Shaheed, I mean, that's someone that already has been talked about the trade deadline was a report that he was of interest to the Bills. The return ability as well. There's that. But I mean, is it like for you, actually I should ask you because Mike Evans is someone that people have, have talked about as well. Not specifically tied to Buffalo, but someone that could be a good fit if the Bills want to go after him.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. I think Mike Evans is a true pro and I think he's a future hall of Famer. And when I, when I hear the pushback of old and injured, I, I just think like he had one year where he was injured. Even one of the years that the year before when he missed two or three games, he still had a thousand yards. Like, that is the type of consummate pro that you're getting who can play all over the field. He's a bigger body now. Again, Mike and I talked about it a lot over Indy. Maybe Mike Evans is happy with his life in Tampa and doesn't even want to and signs a one year deal like with, with the Bucks and returns. Although I know he hasn't sniffed a Super bowl

[Mike Catalana]

if people miss that.

[Dan Fates]

Jason McIntyre.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Said that about Mike Evans. Why are we talking about Mike Evans? You know him better than either one of us.

[Dan Fates]

That's true. So that'd be a great story.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It'd be a great story. So what year was this? 28. Oh, my God.

[Mike Catalana]

20.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, it must have been 2017, because I was done with treatment.

[Mike Catalana]

2017?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. After I'd, you know, gone through being sick, I had had my treatment, and I was done.

[Mike Catalana]

And I made you go down on the field and shoot again.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I would say, yeah. I wanted.

[Dan Fates]

Shouldn't have been standing there, like, in. In defense.

[Mike Catalana]

You should. You shouldn't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Remember. Remember when you were supposed to kneel?

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

What it killed.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Used to have to be on the sidelines, kneeling. And I was like, I just got through cancer treatment. I'm not kneeling. I'm not kneeling. So I was standing, which, thank God, I was standing. But that was when Jamis Winston was the quarterback of Tampa, and y. Mike

[Mike Catalana]

Evans, coming to the side, ran into me. Trey White covering him. Touchdown.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Thank God the Bills won that game in overtime.

[Mike Catalana]

And Jenna went flying.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. The video of it is hilarious Mondays, am I right? I laid there afterwards like, oh, my God.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. So if he does join the Bills, have a reunion here.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. I'm sure he's. He remembers that moment very well, I'm sure.

[Mike Catalana]

We'll show him the video.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my gosh. There's honestly not that much video of it.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, there is really good. Where Mike can't find receipts of his Shakir take I. We would find receipts.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my God.

[Mike Catalana]

I was looking for it today.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I can't find it.

[Mike Catalana]

It's there.

[Dan Fates]

Nope, can't find it.

[Mike Catalana]

It's there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Do you think he would actually. Mike Evans would actually leave Tampa?

[Mike Catalana]

I think they drafted a couple receivers. Crazy idea, right?

[Dan Fates]

Wild.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes. What's Abuka. Abuka and Johnson, right?

[Dan Fates]

Yep. There's the other one, Chris Godwin, and

[Mike Catalana]

they still have Godwin. So it could be that point where it's like, we really like you, but we're going to let you look. And you're right. Sometimes the player does that and go, do I really want to leave? Do I? But he might say, I got another year or two in me that I want to play, so I'm going to go somewhere good. I think he. I'd always wanted Mike Evans, that type of player on the Bills. I just think his skill set just works for them. He's had success. I mean, he had success with bad quarterbacks, with good quarterbacks like Baker and obviously with Tom Brady, Jameis. Like, it didn't matter to get to play with Josh Allen. And he's a free agent, and I don't think the money would be crazy,

[Dan Fates]

especially a One year type of deal. And like that's where a wide receiver at his age and at his point in his career, like that's what he's realistically going to get. Now if somebody wants to throw him a three year deal, then I would imagine he would want to take that money. But I don't know if that's the market for an older wide receiver.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I would love him to be in Buffalo. Yeah, I think it would be great from the production, but also just that veteran in that room, everyone could learn

[Mike Catalana]

from him and preach that's when you, that's when you double, you got a double dip.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh yeah. And I'm still saying that.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes, it takes away the feeling that you have to take the receiver in the first round if you've already gotten Mike Evans.

[Dan Fates]

No, no, it takes away the pressure that that receiver has to have the immediate impact.

[Mike Catalana]

That's my point. I think there's the thought that if you draft that guy, you're drafting him the highest you can because you feel like he's got to jump right in if you have Mike Evans. I think also I, I also want to be a little bit fair to Josh Palmer. He was not healthy, correct? Yeah, they could get more out of him. That doesn't mean great, he's not going anywhere with his contract.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It would be hard to get less.

[Mike Catalana]

That's true. So it's almost like you, you just signed him this year because he really did nothing, but it was in large part due to injury and he couldn't get back on the field. So the only reason I'm saying that's all these other guys contribute. But if you got a Mike Evans and then you said, oh, we really like this guy in the second round

[Jenna Cottrell]

or the third round, I would love that.

[Mike Catalana]

You may be able to do that where you're not giving up assets for the, for the wide receiver. And maybe it is, you know, the kind of deal where he's around for the year. It's sort of the way you signed Leonard Floyd, the way you signed Bosa. It's like one year deals and then see what happens.

[Dan Fates]

Be a pass catching, touchdown grabbing merchant.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I just, I love the idea. The longer we're sitting here, I'm like, do it now because I just think what Mike ev. I think Mike Evans is not a diva, but has shown that there is, first of all, the production is off the charts and is he getting older? Yes, but because of that I would imagine he's not going to get as much on the open market. But that veteran Leadership of setting the tone in that room. You could say a lot of things about Stefan Diggs, but he was able to set the tone in that room, and I think they could benefit from that. And I think they kind of need someone that's a bit of a. I don't want to say a jerk, because that's not the right characterization of Mike Evans, but this is the standard and this is where we need to be at, and we have not been.

[Mike Catalana]

He also at the position at wide receiver that the Bills desperately need.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. I asked Mike or Matt Hartman just, like, quickly off the record, like, because he kind of touched on Mike Evans, and I just said, like, would Evans fit? And he's like, evans is. Evans would fit anywhere.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like, that's how good he is. So knowledgeable. So, like, all of those things. And again, if we're talking about trying to.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You said it. All those things.

[Mike Catalana]

All those things. By the way, I really. Matt Harmon. Great dude, right?

[Dan Fates]

Great dude.

[Mike Catalana]

He's high on your list now, isn't he? He's up there. You guys are buds now.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You're.

[Dan Fates]

We are buds.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

We were neighbors.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I do love that he was talking about how they're going to iron the back of the Yahoo backdrop.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Perfect.

[Dan Fates]

And we were. He lockstep on a lot of things.

[Mike Catalana]

They. You took my take on Khalil Shakir.

[Dan Fates]

When you find the receipts, maybe I'll

[Mike Catalana]

change my opinion, but so as in many cases, I will just articulate it quickly. I said, as good as Shakir is, I do not want to see them shy away from a player whose main role could be in the slot and maybe be more dynamic because Khalil Shakir is there. And is there a part of you that thinks he's holding back the offense because he's too good to take off the field?

[Dan Fates]

He said he was going to do it concisely.

[Mike Catalana]

This is concisely. He's too good to take off the field, but it's taking away from other players who could be in the slot. And then Dan wrote down everything I said and then said it to Matt Harmon.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What did he say?

[Dan Fates]

He agreed. You didn't listen to the interview?

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I did. I actually did. It was good. I was just writing a text to Bovet asking if he could send a saber sound. So I was multitasking.

[Mike Catalana]

That's very nice.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Look at that. All right. Yeah. I'm all in on Mike Evans.

[Dan Fates]

I also think I'm more in on Brian Thomas Jr. Than I am A.J. brown.

[Mike Catalana]

So both of those guys That's. It's a good point. I, I don't think. I think you said it. One of you two said, why would the Jags trade him only because depending on what they're going to do.

[Dan Fates]

Well, they get a first round pick for Brian Thomas Jr. I think they would like that very much.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Then they probably just go young again at wide receiver position.

[Dan Fates]

Correct. Harmon did express some concerns about what he brings. What about the thought that Brian Thomas had that phenomenal rookie year and he made the point to. May have been off camera, but was just kind of saying like that Jags team sucked. Yeah. And they didn't have anybody and it was Mac Jones who came in and it's the backup quarterback. Sometimes your job is just throw it to your number one wide receiver. And so that those numbers were a little bit inflated to what the Jags really were, what they really thought of Brian Thomas Jr. And I don't think A.J.

[Mike Catalana]

brown's coming to the Bills.

[Dan Fates]

I don't think so either.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. There. It's an interesting contract with A.J. brown. If you make a trade for him with the Eagles, if they trade him before June 1, they take a massive cap hit. If they trade him after June 1st, it's substantially down, which probably impacts the amount of resources that it takes to get him. His cap number is low for a couple of years, but he's got these options in his contract. Eventually it's going to be big money, dead money against the cap. But you'd be getting A.J. brown, who's basically the same age as Josh Allen, if you were going to get him. It just doesn't feel like that's a marriage there, I guess, I guess a

[Dan Fates]

lot of the free agent wide receivers and obviously this is going to be ramped up and I, I don't mean to be, I don't mean to be like poo pooing like before. Signs are actually even.

[Mike Catalana]

It's a funny phrase.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It is a funny poo poo.

[Dan Fates]

I guess just going off of like what Carl tweeted. My expectation is not that they're getting some number one guy. Like I really think that the number one guy will be. Should be drafted and not necessarily signed in free agency. So I guess I'm just tempering my expectations when we're going into it saying, oh, Romeo Dobbs is now going to have 80 catches and 100, you know, 1200 yards. Like that's not what my expectations were to be. If you want to find like Michael Pittman, what would he cost? What would the trade all that have to be. And say, man, Michael Pittman's a really good number two. You go and get a Denzel Boston in the first round and then you have Khalil Shakira three. Keon Coleman can fit into four and Josh Palmer how all. However that fits. Then all of a sudden I'm saying, well now your wide receiver room's got some. Got maybe has something to it rather than hey, we're getting Dobbs and we'll take a flyer on a fourth round wide receiver and a fifth round wide receiver. That's. That's what I'm afraid. I guess that's my apprehension.

[Mike Catalana]

Young. What is he, 25 still? He's a young player. So.

[Dan Fates]

But you talked about where they've drafted other guys around him. Like Dobbs has kind of seemingly been kind of like Josh Palmer. Like the Chargers have drafted and drafted and drafted the position. Like the packers don't seem to be like holding Dobbs's leg going like please don't leave. We. We got to make this work.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And that was kind of like what happened with the Chargers.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. When the kind of an indication too.

[Dan Fates]

Right. And that goes to. That shows you again the free agent market where it's like sometimes I look at what the opposing. The team that's losing them. And I talked about this with Matt Harmon. Like that tells you a lot. Whereas if the team's like, okay, that's fine. Yeah. As compared to I can't believe we let this guy go.

[Mike Catalana]

That just also sometimes teams are stupid that when AJ Brown got traded by the Titans, I mean he was 24 years old. They just decided to trade him. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

That was stupid.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

There are some didn't let him walk in free agency.

[Mike Catalana]

No. But they did get a number one pick. They picked the wrong guy and it never worked out for them in that way. But.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But if they picked the right guy, then it would be like, oh, they made this move.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, a good example of that is the Vikings trading digs.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

They got Justin Jefferson.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. That worked out well.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I do think it's sometimes an indicator if a team but within the balance of knowing that there are some teams that are stupid.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It depends on the franchise. Well, you talk about cap hits and everything. I. What they. What do they do with Dawson Knox?

[Mike Catalana]

Well, the contract obviously doesn't work.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

And he's. His cap head is high. It's funny when you think of Knox. I think and say, all right, so they have three tight ends on the roster. They have one guy who's a pass catcher, one guy who's a blocker, and

[Jenna Cottrell]

then one guy that's. Both.

[Mike Catalana]

He's both. He's. Let's say. What would you say? I would say Knox is a better pass catcher than Jackson.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Hawes. Hawes, no doubt.

[Mike Catalana]

And he's a better blocker than Kincaid.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

But he's. We all really like Dawson. He's. There's worse things to be said about a person than. They're overpaid because they could take the money. He's overpaid for what he is for this team. So they need to adjust that. I know they will. They're going to do something with it. And I know he wants to stay. The question is, at what number is it? Is it less money? Do they consolidate the contract where he's got heavy incentives, he gets to stay another year. Like, at what point is it, you know, I hear people say, great in the room, he's Josh's buddy, All that stuff is fine. It's business now. And this, this draft has a decent amount of tight ends. If you wanted to take a shot at another one that you're going to get or you sign another veteran that is considerably cheaper for the role that they have. I think he's going to be on the team. I think he wants to be there. And I think they can make the number work. But it's a. They've put themselves in this spot. Yeah, honestly, they did. They signed him and then they drafted Kincaid.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Honestly, when they even signed his. That contract, I was like, wow, that's a big number. And then the next year, they drafted over him, obviously.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I think that they would like it to be. Or at least I would like it to be something like what they did with Milano. We really want you around. We just don't like, get that number. And so it. Whether it becomes the reduction in the cap, you know, whether it's the pay cut, they. They politely say, we're gonna cut you, or you can take the. You know, it's what Mitch Morris did the one. The one year and kind of like Milano and say, I'd also like to see it, you know, with a ton of incentives, you know, you get. You make that money back, you'll make the money back. 40 catches, 500 yards, four touchdowns. And then in week 18, we're going, hey, Dawson, Knox needs this two touchdowns for half a million dollars to make it back up. That's where I would hope it ends up. And like you said, Mike, I think he would like to be in Buffalo as Well, I think he's one of. Can't say he's a cornerstone piece, but he's one of, like, the locker room guys. Like, he's one of Josh's best friends. So, like, I think some of that plays into it.

[Mike Catalana]

I think if you're Knox and his agent, you have to look at and say, well, what am I. What am I worth on the open market.

[Dan Fates]

Yep.

[Mike Catalana]

And then maybe you then decide, I'll take a little bit of. Little less to stay in Buffalo. Let's just make up numbers. Let's say on the open market, they believe he's getting 9 million a year and the bills offer 5.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

In a deal, then you might be like, ooh, was 4 million bucks.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Like, it's hard to not. Yeah, it's hard to leave that play

[Mike Catalana]

with Brian D. I was about to say where he is in Nashville.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I could. I could absolutely. If he's not for the Bills, I could see him being in that.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

Yep.

[Mike Catalana]

It would make sense in a way. It still is at some point. I don't know. It just doesn't feel like it's going to be because not they're going to do. Knox is going to find out what he's going to have. Kincaid is going to get the fifth year option. Kincaid's going to be there for a while.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Seems like it's the case. Right. And they just drafted Hawes. They got him on a cheap contract. So at some point, it feels like this relationship will end with the Bills.

[Dan Fates]

That's where I don't. I know people have talked about restructuring. Like, I want more of the Milano route, where it's.

[Jenna Cottrell]

When you restructure, you're saying, this guy is on your team for that many more years.

[Dan Fates]

You want to restructure players that you see with a future for years to come. That's the whole. Ed Oliver, Dion Dawkins, Josh Allen. That's where it's easy to restructure. When it's.

[Mike Catalana]

So do you want. You want multiple more years of Dawson?

[Dan Fates]

No. That's why I'm saying I want it to be the Milano.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Where you're saying, hey, this is probably it.

[Mike Catalana]

So it's more money up front. It's probably got a couple of incentives. Incentives. And then it also probably has some void years.

[Dan Fates]

Yep.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know. Something's going to happen. Something. We're recording this on Monday. It could be happening in the next couple days.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. And to sit here and like, Mike, when you're like, he's overpaid it's like, you know, who else thinks, like, that's not some, like, hot take like Brennan Bean also is aware that he's overpaid because he said, like, that number will not work. Cannot work.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's true.

[Mike Catalana]

Who's. Who signed him to that contract?

[Dan Fates]

They're trying Sean McDermott.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They're trying to find the guy. They do have to be CAP compliant, though, by next week, so.

[Dan Fates]

Hot dog.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

We're all trying to figure out who did this.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That show is incredible. So uncomfortable. I can't watch that show. What is it called? Nobody likes you. No, you should leave.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I think that's.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think you should leave. I don't know what it's called either. Do you know what we're talking about?

[Mike Catalana]

No, I have no idea.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think you should leave.

[Mike Catalana]

It's good podcasting.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I gotta figure out what the name of the show is.

[Dan Fates]

Yep. We gotta figure this out. I think you should leave.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think you should leave. It's the most uncomfortable show. People think it's funny. And I know the humor is supposed to be uncomfortable, but he does the

[Dan Fates]

pranking at the food court. I don't want to be here.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I do love the zip line, though, so good. I think he's just here for the zip line. All right, we'll get into more conversations later on this week about other players.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, how about the offensive line?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, aren't we going to do that on Wednesday?

[Mike Catalana]

No, but what are they going to do? This is a free agency thing here.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

This is making a commitment here because there's. Okay, so you've got Osiris Torrance, who's going to get paid a lot down the line. They have big decisions to make here. You've got your guard, you've got your center, and then you got your other guard who's going to get paid. Do you want to let two of them go? Do you really want to go with that? Left side going. New guard, new set. I say left side, center, left side. Or do you want to redo Torrance now, get him signed early before he gets.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

To that point. Friend of the pod. Brian knows his football. We text back and forth. He's like, how about this deal? How about you sign Edwards and McGovern, and then eventually you let Torrance walk?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Interesting.

[Mike Catalana]

Because of the money he's going to get,

[Jenna Cottrell]

I just don't think it's feasible to sign both of them.

[Dan Fates]

It goes against the draft. Develop, resign.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I'm tired of those narratives, though, too. It's great to say Draft, sign, develop and resign.

[Dan Fates]

I'm. What I would do may be different than what I think they're going to. Okay. It goes back to the James Cook thing where Jenna's like, you don't want to sign James Cook. I wanted to sign James Cook. I just didn't think the bills would do it. So I think that I didn't want to sign him.

[Mike Catalana]

He spun it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He spun it when he was wrong.

[Dan Fates]

I was never wrong. Just early. Never wrong. Or maybe a little late.

[Mike Catalana]

Or you just steal a tape.

[Dan Fates]

So show the receipts. Show the receipts.

[Mike Catalana]

I talk so much. I might have just said it to Jenny, to my wife. And she's like nodding and I'm like, guess what I said. It's on the record.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, guess what? That doesn't count.

[Mike Catalana]

Doesn't count.

[Dan Fates]

It doesn't count. My question to you guys then, and where they go with this center and guard position?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Connor McGovern. If I could have my pick. Connor McGovern.

[Dan Fates]

Okay, so I just wasn't my question.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay, sorry. I thought that's what you're gonna ask.

[Mike Catalana]

She's got takes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I just. I don't think Alec Anderson, people like, oh, you could just have Alec Anderson be the center. I just don't. I don't like that idea at all.

[Dan Fates]

I think that's where I was going.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay.

[Dan Fates]

That's exactly where I was going.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I just don't. I don't like that idea. I think.

[Dan Fates]

What do they think of Alec Anderson?

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think Alec Anderson is a fiery, passionate dude that plays with that emotion, which is great, but I want my center to be calm, cool, collected. Just. I. I just don't think that fits the wheelhouse of Alec Anderson. And you also didn't pay him to be a full time starter either.

[Mike Catalana]

No, but you paid him an amount that is. He's going to be on the team.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

And depending on how it works out, then they could draft a guy too, that ends up being like, wow, this kid's better than we thought. The other thing is Wind Horse.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

What do they really think? You know, they're pumping up Van Pran Granger, who's pumping him up. Well, being had mentioned on what they saw in him. And then also I love when they talk about the jets game. I mean, like, you and I were playing for the jets in that game, so.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Looked great against the Jets.

[Mike Catalana]

It doesn't mean that. Just. They just have not put him in any of these.

[Dan Fates]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

Yet. He really hasn't played that.

[Dan Fates]

Whenever McGovern came out in a real game that mattered. Alec Anderson.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. And I did. I didn't. I don't like that. I think Alec Anderson, I just think he's too emotional and I think he plays with that emotion, which is great. And he. His. His teammates tall, talk about him as a psycho. They literally say he's a psycho, which not.

[Mike Catalana]

You're right. Not for a center.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Not for a center. Not for a center. I need someone even keel. I need someone who people might think is high.

[Mike Catalana]

So.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm kidding.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What?

[Dan Fates]

I. I just like at every turn that they had to put in Cedric Van Pran, Granger. They didn't. They put in Alec Anderson. They've kept Anderson around. They made him the jumbo for two years ago. It was always number 70 is now reporting eligible. Then.

[Mike Catalana]

Then he get in a fight.

[Dan Fates]

Well, then he actually wasn't because of Hawes. He wasn't the jumbo as much. So they had him play tackle. They had him do all of these different things. Like I feel like they have a good understanding of what they have in Alec Anderson. They have not expressed it to me. But Windhorse, Windhorse Hands says if they're continuing to drag their feet maybe on what Connor McGovern is or saying, hey, Connor, we like you at this number. Go see what you can get. And they. Their plan, it was the same thing that when they changed the plan and release Mitch Morris, they obviously knew that McGovern was going to swing in there. Have they been working with Alec Anderson this past year going, hey, you know what, we gotta get you some reps in at center because we're priming you.

[Mike Catalana]

That's some reps. Connor McGovern was a starter in the league and started for the Bills and then moved over.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Move back to center.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

McGovern played all. I mean, he was all over the field when he was with Dallas when they signed him.

[Mike Catalana]

This is a fascinating year for this because you can mess with a lot of stuff with this team and Josh overcomes a lot of it. But if you screw up the left side of this line and you aren't prepared. I keep saying left side, center and guard and it's not right. I mean, you're asking a lot out of Josh and.

[Dan Fates]

Can I contradict my own point?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay, sure.

[Dan Fates]

Just.

[Mike Catalana]

Just to play it before.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. This is more of a deep cut to people. Ryan Groy was thought of as like so valuable as the sixth offensive lineman and then they had him actually be a full time starter and it did not go well.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

And then he got paid by the Rams, I think it was. And it did not go well there either. So it is a delicate balance between being that backup. Like we said, it's fine to be a backup and play in our game, but when you're consistently in there, all those reps, all of those, you know, games, it's a different level of expectation and a different level of pressure.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Not everybody's. Ernie Clement, who goes from utility guy starter.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. And excels to MLB record holder in the postseason.

[Mike Catalana]

Look at that.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I. I was going to say something. I do think you have to give credit to Brandon Bean because that offensive line has been a fastball for this team.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And how they've been able to protect Josh. I know this past year kind of took a step back, but overall that has been a strong suit for this team. And so that is something that you want to keep, that you want to hold on to that because how valuable that has been for protecting Josh.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. They'd have to have a lot of faith in some of the guys they have drafted. Tylen Grable, Van Pran, Granger. Like if these guys were ready, this is a much easier decision. I don't know if they believe it. And you mentioned Cromer already. Let's see how the new online coaches. There's a lot of faith in Kromer.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

To get guys ready. So.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I think a lot of faith isn't. Is putting it lightly.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I mean, Cromer was a massive part of this offense.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Huge. Yeah. That's another thing too. Do you think they will resign either David Edwards or Conor McGovern?

[Dan Fates]

I think Edwards has completely prices himself out with how well he has played in Buffalo. I think there is a chance that they could get something done with McGovern.

[Mike Catalana]

And I think there is a chance that you see a Torrance extension done after this is. Or to get it settled. Could be in the works like a year early. Because like you guys said, if that's where their commitment is. And it seems the one thing about Torrance, I gotta give him credit, man, that dude never comes out of the game. Never even in the games when everybody else isn't playing. He plays.

[Dan Fates]

He plays everything.

[Mike Catalana]

Doesn't say boo. Doesn't do. He just. Just plays every game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So agreed.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All right. Any. Anything else?

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, actually I wanted to talk to you guys.

[Dan Fates]

Oh. So we're right here. Go ahead.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's amazing. No, just combine wrap up stuff. Some of the testing from the wide receivers. Did you watch the gauntlet from Denzel Boston?

[Dan Fates]

I did not see his.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay, people.

[Mike Catalana]

A couple drops.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. He had a drop off. Like people were saying that it didn't look good. Do. How much do you emphasize the onfield testing at the combine? Mai Lemon, another guy that's being talked about as not doing great in the interview process and not like listening to directions when doing some of the onfield testing.

[Mike Catalana]

I think there is something to that in the idea of, you know, teams are going to get more time with them. So sometimes when it's played out in that weird environment. Dan and I, when we talked about it, we, we went in and watched some of it. A very brief amount. I was, I was, you know, doing timing of all the players. It's a, it's a different terrible throw.

[Dan Fates]

That was a low throw on my boy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That never happens in a game.

[Mike Catalana]

Dan's crush.

[Dan Fates]

Like we catch the ball.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Catch the ball.

[Dan Fates]

He caught five out of the six.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

How many times is he catching passes? Multiple times a game from multiple directions out of play. You know who did have a great gauntlet? Casey Conception.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He did.

[Mike Catalana]

And by the way, shout out to Casey Concepcion.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Who put out an Instagram post about his stop the next speech impediment and stop the negativity. I think people should be applauding him for standing up there and doing a news conference. That is a daily thing for that man. That is a 365 day a year issue for him. And it's one thing to talk in communication with people at a coffee shop. It's another thing to stand up at the podium and speak when you have a stuttering problem. And I give him a ton of credit. He's working on it. And then people respond because people can be jerks about things. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So I had posted and. And tweeted the video of him talking about growing up in Rochester. Shout out 585and. And how his. The Bills were his dad's favorite team growing up. I obviously didn't put the context of his speech impediment in my tweet.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

And somebody had. Was a very nice person. She didn't mean anything negative by it. She had said and replied to my tweet and said poor guy must is so nervous. And then I quoted that and said he has a speech impediment, something he's worked with. And I quoted and added the article that he did with the AP during the season. And she goes, oh my gosh, I feel terrible now. I don't think she meant anything negative by it. I think if you first glance you may know. Oh, there's something with his speech or his nerves. He probably was nervous.

[Mike Catalana]

That's what I was going to say.

[Dan Fates]

On top of having a speech.

[Mike Catalana]

It's a very different environment when you're standing up at a podium. Not even like in college, where he may know everybody.

[Dan Fates]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

He doesn't know any of us.

[Dan Fates]

I got Dove. I got Doved.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Client. Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, you did?

[Dan Fates]

I got Doved.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Why don't you block. You gotta block him.

[Dan Fates]

So I have him muted. So then I was like, why does this have 300,000 views? And then I saw Dove just took my. My tweet.

[Mike Catalana]

Of course he does.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. I block. I block all.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, I blocked him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

There are a lot of other people that block the. That'd be a fun podcast. That would be a wild pod.

[Mike Catalana]

Wow.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I don't think I have that many, but.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, Cat loves blocking.

[Mike Catalana]

I just block them. Usually if it's language or they say something just outrageous, you say, enjoy this block.

[Dan Fates]

Enjoy this block.

[Mike Catalana]

Dip.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That is pretty good.

[Mike Catalana]

Dip. Such a good word.

[Dan Fates]

So to answer your question, as we got off on a tangent, how much do you factor in when you have somebody that has that much tape of an actual football game in their production? I don't put as much stock into that. Like, Carnell Tate ran a four, five or whatever.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like, it wasn't that great. Jerry Rice wasn't that, you know, didn't run a great 40. Like, there is something to it. And unless they're running a 4, 8, like, then you might be worried about the speed. But a lot of these guys are. If it's 4, 5, 4, 6, like, they're still fast. Yeah, they're still really, really fast.

[Mike Catalana]

Let's also be honest. We're sitting there watching it. It's. It's in a sprinter's stance.

[Dan Fates]

Sterile.

[Mike Catalana]

It's a sterile environment, and it's. You're running like a sprinter.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And not everybody. No. I don't even know if Carnell Tate ran that in high school or whatever, but it's a very different environment. The point about answering the questions, I think teams can find out a lot about the way a guy deals with his coaches, what he does. I. You know, I think people are looking for stuff sometimes on players. I'm not saying that there isn't something there. I don't know. I didn't read anything about Lemon before this.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

About the way he is with coaching.

[Dan Fates]

Did you see Bean had jokes?

[Jenna Cottrell]

No.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, he was on there when. When Tate ran, like, the four or Five. He's like, no, I wouldn't take him in the top 20.

[Mike Catalana]

See?

[Dan Fates]

Got jokes, dad, joke.

[Mike Catalana]

Got jokes, dad, joke.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Always slower to be easy to get.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

By the way, shot of Bean watching the wide receivers played on the network. Yeah. He's like, look at all these guys. I'm not drafted. Stop it.

[Dan Fates]

That's not nice. Do you know what else wasn't nice? NFL putting Aaron Glenn on blast.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh.

[Dan Fates]

Oh. They want to talk about don't release the report cards because we don't want to make anybody look bad. And then there's a camera guy that sleep. And it's like, yeah, I got Aaron Glenn asleep in the studio. And there's a punch him up. Director's like, yep. Like, you think that, like, people.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Like, he was looking at his phone. I was like, that man was sleep.

[Mike Catalana]

I gotta tell you, though, since we walked in there, I could have taken it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, I will say that is a talk about sterile environment. You're seeing the same. I mean, I am massive. I'm not a head coach of an NFL team, but I could see if you. It's pretty.

[Dan Fates]

Pretty boring.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, but it's not a good look.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, not at all.

[Dan Fates]

And again, for the NFL to protect their brand and then to just don one of their coaches, like, it's just like, oh, yeah. But we don't want to release the report cards of the owners, but we'll just embarrass a head coach here for closing his eyes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. I did go back and watch Keon's gauntlet.

[Dan Fates]

It was a good gauntlet.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It was. He ran out of. Bound. Like, he.

[Dan Fates]

But they were saying that his gauntlet was as fast as Pukas, and again,

[Jenna Cottrell]

that he was fast.

[Dan Fates]

Like, that's where it gets into the point where you're like, how much do you judge it? Like, I don't know. I have a lot of, like, Denzel Boston. There's four years of film of him, and he's dropped five passes. So if he drops a pass in a gauntlet, am I sitting there going, it's got.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's not all or nothing. I'm not saying.

[Mike Catalana]

If you didn't like him, you'd be saying, see, I told you. This guy can't catch.

[Jenna Cottrell]

There's nuance to it, but sometimes. I'm not saying. I didn't even say it was a bad gauntlet. You implied that.

[Mike Catalana]

I read people said he had more drops in the gauntlet than he did in, like, three years of college.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So I just heard that. Yeah, twice from you. But I Just. I think it's. Sometimes it can. When you have the full context later on and you watch, it kind of informs you. I also think it's important. How do you take a test? NFL game is a test. How do you take a test?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, some of those guys were talking about, like, you talk about the interviews. They were like, I've interviewed with so many teams, and my last one was at like 11:30 at night.

[Mike Catalana]

That's what they've been talking about. Changing some of that.

[Dan Fates]

Like, that's tough.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. No, I agree with that.

[Mike Catalana]

I heard another one. This is talking about what they could do at the combine, and they think the players should do the physical testing first.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Because you didn't get kind of worn out.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, I believe it.

[Mike Catalana]

Mentally worn out. Now you're throwing them out on the field afterward. Let them test first. Just reverse the order and then come talk to the media after that. Can I do the shout outs real quick?

[Jenna Cottrell]

I do think the combine matters, though. I get. I think film is very important.

[Dan Fates]

But would you attend? Well, if you were a head coach, I would.

[Mike Catalana]

There's only two teams that don't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But also it's. What's his name was. Who is from the Rams.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. And the gm, too. Yeah, the Rams.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So he comes from the Rams school of thought.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, it's fine. And they're. They. But honestly, playoff teams.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But if that trend continues, I don't really think.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't necessarily think it's a trend. I think it is.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm saying if the Rams and the Jags continue to draft well, I could see that becoming a trend.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I just think it's one other place for them to get information. What else are they doing? That's where all the players.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I hear you. I'm just saying they draft well. People might be like, maybe I should do that because it's clouding my judgment when I fall in love with a player because he says that his catch radius is a vacuum.

[Mike Catalana]

Good point. Can you imagine anybody falling in love with just somebody saying that?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay. Anything else? All right. Coming up this week, we'll talk more about the offense, obviously, get into free agency stuff. And then I was gonna say we're gonna do life advice, but. Michael.

[Mike Catalana]

Shoutouts, Shout Outs, UPS Store. Rich. You know Rich.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I know Rich. Which behind the scenes, I went to Rich a lot for my Amazon returns and all my returns. Great, dude. And I was worried because they shut down my ups.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

In Webster, you go up to the guy every time I do an Amazon return at ups.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

You don't go to a little kiosk.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They didn't have one.

[Dan Fates]

Really?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, they shut that. They shut that one down. So maybe that's why.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. Cuz I had we the one by me. Because I do all of Renee's Amazon returns and you just scan it, you bag it up yourself. You put the sticker on it, you drop in a little box.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, that's nice.

[Dan Fates]

Never have to interact with anybody.

[Mike Catalana]

Rich is great. So I just handed him the thing and he put it in the box.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's fair.

[Dan Fates]

Was there a kiosk?

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, but why am I using that? I mean, I could. I actually, I did go to the kiosk and it said no, it said, go to the counter.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's mean, Daniel, go to the counter.

[Mike Catalana]

So I went to the counter. Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

This is a quick aside. Self checkout at Wegmans. Makes my blood boil. Do you know what I'm talking about? Self checkout? You mean the bag and it's like up. You didn't put it in the bag. I'm like, I put it in. I put it in the bag and then it's yelling at you.

[Mike Catalana]

That's an old man take.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. I hang out with you too much, by the way.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm pretty good at all this stuff. I was fine. It just said I went to the thing and you did have a couple.

[Dan Fates]

You did have a couple issues with the kiosk at the airport.

[Mike Catalana]

Not this time I didn't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The way you said that.

[Dan Fates]

Getting your bag tags when we get there and you get in the bag tags members.

[Mike Catalana]

Did it not happen to you too? We were standing there, both of us had an issue getting it.

[Dan Fates]

I got mine in.

[Mike Catalana]

Both of us had an issue getting it to read the.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Okay. Can I continue?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Man, you guys are tough. Dick's Sporting Goods, actually, the, like their, their other going, going, gone. Yeah. Yeah. Dominic, great talking with it. Knows his football, loves the podcast, watches all the time. Thank you very much, Lex. Awesome dude. Knows his football. I was like. It was like. I. I just was having a little show there in Dick's Sporting Goods. It was great talking bill tight 10 and yes. And then Mike Morrow, father of my neighbor, great guy, told me this morning, loves podcast watches all the time. Love it.

[Dan Fates]

That's where he's so good. Like there are so many times that people come up to me and they'll just be like, love Buffalo plus. And I'll just keep walking like, thanks. Yeah, I need it. Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I don't so many at BJ's. Was like, love the pod. I was like, ah, panicked.

[Mike Catalana]

People know their stuff.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I know. I'm saying I don't know how to handle.

[Dan Fates]

I don't know how to handle it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, it's an us problem, not a them problem.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, that's why you're a veteran. That's why you're a Hall of Famer.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Just come up to me. Don't worry about them.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I would.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, like, there. That goes back to the airport time that we were there. And it's different when you're at a meet and greet. Like, even we've had our meet and greets, and you go up to, like, talk somebody at a table. And I'm always worried, like, maybe they're not here for us. Maybe they're just here for, like, sometimes they were right, like, hey, how are you? And they're like, good. You're like. You're like, do you need a water? I'll just get you something real quick. I'm so sorry. We were at the airport all time. One was in Philly. We had, like, five people in a row come up to us. Love the podcast. Love the podcast. And somebody came up to us, and I was like, yep, it's us. And they're like, do you order here or do you order up there? And I was like, wait, I thought every single person at the Philadelphia airport was there for Buffalo.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Plus one time that happened to me. I was. We were walking in our neighborhood. Zach and I were just, you know, it's. This was probably a couple years ago now. And usually when someone comes up, like, oh, you look familiar. Like. And usually I'm like, you know, do you. Are you a sports fan? Like, whatever. This.

[Mike Catalana]

I.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We were walking. This woman goes, oh, you look familiar. And I go, yeah, I'm on channel 13. And she goes, nope, that's not it. I was like, oh, my God.

[Dan Fates]

It was like, you live in the house down the street, right? You're like, yeah, that was totally what I meant.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I was like, I will never do that. Zach was like, oh, that was embarrassing.

[Mike Catalana]

Embarrassing. Home Depot guy comes up to me and he's looking at me. He's going, you. I know you. I know you. Whatever. And I was like, yeah, whatever. And then he goes, swapped out a plug on your dryer. And I go, yeah. He goes, how'd that work out? I go, great. And he's like, good to hear. And they walked away. It's so good. So good. Hey, man did his job. That's what he was focused on.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm like, that's genuinely impressive.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, they know their stuff.

[Dan Fates]

There were people in Indy that we went to the Tin Roof and they said they remembered us from the year before.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Really?

[Dan Fates]

They're like, yeah, it was you and all. Every. Everybody around you. I was like, that's.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Holy crap. Yeah, I do. Like, in the pod, how you're like, this is the center of the NFL universe, and Mike's like, buffalo plus is not the center of the.

[Mike Catalana]

We're getting there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. We got a long way.

[Dan Fates]

That's so funny.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All right, you look.

[Dan Fates]

Dale Earnhardt.

[Mike Catalana]

That's a story we'd have to explain. It's not me, but I was part of it.

[Dan Fates]

He's not a goal.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Can you tell that we missed each other? Okay. All right. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe, subscribe and. And share plenty more coverage. We'll have, like, we talked about the offense on Wednesday as well as life advice and whatever happens and.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, Buffalo Plus.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Hey, Buffalo. Hey, Buffalo plus gmail dot com, we got some good questions. So we thank you so much for watching, for Mike, Dan, and myself.

[Mike Catalana]

Thanks for watching the Buffalo plus podcast.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The Buffalo plus podcast in the Connors

[Dan Fates]

and Ferris podcast studio.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Bye.

[Mike Catalana]

Not high.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Not high. God.

[Dan Fates]

We'll host this next time.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Shut up,

[Dan Fates]

Buffalo Plus.