Podcast Summary: Buffalo Plus — "Why is Von Miller 'angry' and how the Bills AGE is NOW a 'GOOD' thing"

Date: July 2, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana & Dan Fetes (Jenna Cottrell on vacation)
Main Theme:
A deep dive into Von Miller’s recent comments about his lost 2023 season and a thoughtful examination of the Buffalo Bills’ roster age—a transition from being one of the oldest teams in the NFL to a younger, more promising squad.

Episode Overview

Mike and Dan, with Jenna away for the Fourth of July, tackle two significant Bills topics:

1. Von Miller’s recent interview—the controversy around his post-injury narrative, his motivation, and his future with the Bills.
2. Roster Age Analysis—how Brandon Beane’s offseason moves have transformed the Bills into a younger, more balanced team, potentially setting up for long-term success.

1. Von Miller's "Angry" Comments

Background and Reaction ([02:52]-[13:11])

• The Interview: Von Miller spoke to SI.com—mostly about sneakers, fashion, and glasses. At the end, he was asked about his goals for 2024, and pivoted to his struggles in 2023, saying he maybe shouldn't have played at all due to injury, expressing frustration at how fans and critics judged his play.

Key Discussion Points

• Revisionist History:

  • Mike: "Vaughn was the one that told us 'I'll be back week one,' ... He was saying he wanted to play so bad and the Bills had to protect him from himself." ([03:11])
  • Both hosts express skepticism that Von is now saying he shouldn’t have played, when he publicly pushed for an early return all along.

• Media/Fan Reaction:

  • Dan: "...It's mind boggling to me...Is tone deaf the right word? ...People weren’t necessarily mad at you because of rushing back...they're mad because you didn't perform on the field.” ([08:12])
  • Mike: "On the field, forget everything else—he was not impactful to the point that they sat him down...to sit there and say he shouldn't have played, that was never even considered." ([09:15])

• Von’s Motivation:

  • Dan quoting Von: "'I feel like people are judging me on that, so it's making me a little bit angry, to be honest. It's making me tap into that Von I haven’t been in a while...'" ([06:38])
  • Both note that while using criticism as motivation is common in sports, this feels overly self-involved and disconnected from how the team and fans experienced his year.

• Expectations for 2024:

  • Mike: “I think his role this year will be pass rusher, limited number of snaps. I don’t think they’re counting on him for...anything more.” ([13:11])
  • Dan is less sure, wondering “who’s starting over him?” but agrees last year, even backups outplayed Von.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s just not reading the room ... you didn’t perform.” — Dan Fetes ([08:12])
• “He goes from, ‘What are your goals for the year?’—‘Actually, I shouldn’t have played last year. By the way, Josh Allen’s an amazing person and we’re going to win the Super Bowl.’” — Mike Catalana ([12:06])

2. Roster Age: From Liability to Strength

PFF List as a Discussion Catalyst ([15:34]-[24:29])

• Pro Football Focus (PFF) '25 and Under' List:
  • The hosts note that only Greg Rousseau represented the Bills among PFF’s top 25 players under age 25, with Dan surprised—he guessed James Cook, Dalton Kincaid, Terrel Bernard, and Christian Benford before Rousseau ([16:21]).

Who Comprises the Bills' Youth Core? ([18:26])

• Notable under-25 contributors:

  • Terrel Bernard
  • AJ Epenesa
  • Dalton Kincaid
  • Khalil Shakir
  • James Cook
  • Osiris Torrence
  • Christian Benford
  • Dorian Williams
  • Kair Elam
  • Keon Coleman (rookie)
  • Greg Rousseau

  Mike: "That’s a pretty good group... these are guys you're feeling like are going into their prime." ([18:37])

• Age Balance:

  • Only three projected starters over 30: Dion Dawkins (30), DaQuan Jones (32), Von Miller (35, if starting).
  • Veteran role players and special teamers round out the 30+ group, a sharp drop from last season when Hyde, Poyer, Diggs, Morse, Floyd, etc., made the Bills one of the league’s oldest teams ([17:43], [17:50]).

• League Context:

  • 49ers: 18 players age 30+, six more than any other team.
  • Packers: only one player over 30 on their 90-man roster.
  • Bills: currently at nine over-30 players—most not impact starters ([23:01]).

"Goldilocks Zone" for Team Age

• Dan: “It’s kind of like Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears…You want to have enough youth, a core in their prime, and sprinkle in just enough veteran guys…” ([19:19])
• Both hosts agree the blend now feels right: plenty of in-their-prime contributors, a youth pipeline, and the right vet presence.

3. The "Transition Year" Framed as Opportunity ([23:24]-[24:29])

• Strategic Pivot, Not Just Cap Decisions:

  • Dan: "Those were football decisions…they wanted to get younger was a point of emphasis." ([24:14])
  • Mike: “They had to…that is a lot of age to delete from your roster. Quality players, guys that’ll be missed…but that does drop the number down pretty fast.” ([23:24])

• Prime Windows and Future Growth:

  • “This is a transition...now the transition is these guys are all going into their prime. How many of them will excel?” — Mike Catalana ([24:29])
  • Emphasis on the roster foundation for sustained competitiveness, not a full rebuild.

4. Quick Hitters and Notable Moments

• Jordan Love vs. Josh Allen?! ([25:20])

  • Mike Tannenbaum (ESPN) caused a stir by saying, if starting a team today, he’d take Patrick Mahomes and then Jordan Love before Josh Allen.
  • The hosts both strongly disagree: “I think I’d take Josh Allen first…I think you got another decade of Josh Allen.” — Mike Catalana ([27:01])

• Personal Anecdotes: ([27:07]-[28:44])

  • Dan is selling his house; a listener recognized his home at an open house—a bit of Buffalo Plus community fun.
  • Both hosts joke about the chaos of keeping a house spotless with kids.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 02:52 | Introduction to Von Miller SI.com interview | | 04:34 | Media and fan criticism of Von—fair or not? | | 06:38 | Von's motivation and response to critics | | 10:08 | Von’s off-topic answers and messaging issues | | 13:11 | Projected role for Von Miller in 2024 | | 15:34 | PFF ‘Top 25 under 25’ and Bills youth core | | 17:43 | Over-30 players on the current roster | | 18:26 | Review of young impact Bills players | | 19:19 | “Goldilocks” age zone for a contender | | 23:24 | The great age pivot—context and comparison | | 24:14 | Why youth movement was a necessity | | 25:20 | Mike Tannenbaum’s Jordan Love hot take | | 27:07 | House-selling, fan encounters—lighter ending |

Conclusion

This Buffalo Plus episode offers one of the frankest public appraisals of Von Miller’s value, mindset, and place on the Bills. The hosts push back on revisionist history, emphasize honesty and accountability—while also laying out why age is now not just less of a problem, but a source of cautious optimism as the team enters a new phase. The show underscores the franchise’s plan: moving on from an aging core, building around in-their-prime stars like Josh Allen and a promising young group, while still relying on veterans in the right roles.

Memorable Quote:
"People weren’t necessarily mad at you because of rushing back…they’re mad because you didn’t perform on the field, which is any player…you put yourself in the crossfires.”
— Dan Fetes ([08:12])

For more: Buffalo Plus on YouTube