Batavia Daily and Livingston County News sports editor Alex Brasky and sports reporter Ajay Cybulski have set out on a new podcast venture: Right Here, Right Now – Live Buffalo Football Talk. Each week, Alex and Ajay will discuss news and notes surrounding Buffalo’s favorite football team, including the comings and goings from Orchard Park.
On this week’s show, the guys welcome in Matt Bove, Sports Director at WKBW Channel 7, along with WGR 550 pregame, halftime and postgame show host Nate Geary to discuss the upcoming NFL schedule reveal, the Bills’ roster construction, the 2024 rookie class and much more.
Where else would you rather be?
Intro 0:00-3:15
Rookie minicamp/53-man roster talk 3:16-9:25
Schedule discussion 9:26-11:06
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MATT BOVE INTERVIEW
Matt Bove Intro 11:07-13:25
Keon Coleman arrival in Buffalo 13:26-15:20
NFL Schedule talk 15:21-30:17
53-man roster 30:18-34:10
Final thoughts with Matt 34:11-36:40
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NATE GEARY INTERVIEW
Intro/Golf 38:48-41:57
53-man roster thoughts/WR room 41:58-52:01
Nate’s thoughts on Bills 2024 rookie class 52:02-57:56
Schedule release/AFC East discussion 57:57-1:04:45
Final thoughts/Buffalo wing scene 1:04:50-1:08:50
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Outro 1:08:51-1:12:31
Please take the time to like, subscribe and share the podcast, presented by the Batavia Daily News and Livingston County News.
[Music] [Music] hello everybody and welcome to right here right now live Buffalo football talk I’m your host Al brasy alongside my co-host AJ sabulski here for the bav Daily News and Livingston County News each week we’ll discuss Buffalo’s favorite football team along with all of the comings and goings from Orchard Park what’s up AJ tell the people what we have in store for them today yeah excited again thank you all for tuning in on this fine Thursday evening our first Thursday very very fine Thursday very fine Thursday evening our first Thursday show so excited to you know dive into the stuff we’ll talk about today with our two great guests Matt B from WKBW and Nate G over at wgr sports radio 550 uh we’ll we’ll discuss the 53 man roster a little bit discuss maybe some guys that we think could potentially sneak in maybe some surprise cut candidates uh as the season is now not in full swing but we’re getting to the point where there’ll be a little dull Peri period and then training camp is you know here at the end of July so we’ll start touching on that a little bit and then we’ll talk about some some wings and golf with giri Nate gir later and then we will talk about rookie mini camp which starts tomorrow which Alex I know you’ll be there so excited to discuss that as well so there’s a lot going on again a little bit of downtime but if you are listening make sure to comment like share review as we continue to build this pod the right here right now live Buffalo football talk with myself and Alex excuse me yeah spit it out AJ over there GE before we get to our first guest let’s disc discuss the latest news out of one Bills Drive you mentioned it already rookie mini camp coming up on Friday excited to get back to the either the practice field or inside the Fieldhouse there in Orchard Park rookie mini camp officially set for May 10th and 11th also OTAs will resume May 20th through 21st and continue May 23d and then the 28th through 30th June 3rd and 4th and June 6th mandatory mini camp slated for June 11th through 13th really excited to see these rookies out in a practice setting for the first time wearing that bills red red white and blue excuse me and really what I’m looking forward to most obviously seeing Keon Coleman out there for the first time running around with his teammates being as expressive as he typically is quite the personality as Coleman but AJ what are you looking forward to most out of this rookie mini camp a lot of storylines to watch for Dwayne Carter coming in trying to work his way into that defensive line rotation Cole Bishop perhaps he’ll crack the starting lineup uh to begin the regular season then you have a a bunch of later round guys trying to fit in and and make their way what’s your top storyline what are you looking forward to most with rookie mini camp coming up yeah I think just the culmination of guys coming to one Bills Drive guys that Brandon bean and The Scouting Department have obviously done their due diligence on since you know October of last year so they they’ve done due diligence on these guys that Brandon Bean obviously trust the scouts during college football season and then Bean really dives into it after the bill season ends so he’s obvious obviously been doing that since the Senior Bowl but yeah I’m excited to see all these guys Cole Bishop a guy you mentioned one of my favorite picks how he’s gonna kind of develop into the type of player Bobby babit and Shawn mcder want him to be there’s a lot of interesting rookies that can be discussed I mean we’ve talked about it extensively over the past couple weeks here and right here right now so there is a lot of of players to talk about a lot of things to talk about but again it’s kind of more of a walk through I know there’s it’s not that intense uh it’s just kind of I want to hope I hope everything goes smoothly the players who that come to one Bill’s Drive have a nice relaxed you know couple days and really feel the culture that sha mcdermit and this staff have built over the years and just kind of dive right into it and become teammates that that’s the goal here it’s more about right now getting to know each other and becoming teammates and and men in a locker room then the ex’s and know’s part of it that that’ll come as time goes on Yeah you mentioned it before the lack of drama surrounding this year as not only rookie mini camp but the OTAs is coming up and and and no player uh potentially going to be absent uh from the proceedings so that takes an element away and really puts the focus on the football and and the proceedings on the field which is kind of what every fan is hoping for and and really that distance from the drama is what I think bills Mafia is hoping for this year but when it comes to the bills 53 man roster we we discussed a few rookies on our past show uh draft recap Keon Coleman the second round pick Cole Bishop Dwayne Carter Ray Davis another player the fourth round pick the running back potentially coming in and complimenting James Cook but it could it could be a a tough road for a few of these late round picks to make the roster do you see any surprises there any of these rookies cracking the final 53 man roster out of TR training camp or perhaps any veterans that they brought in uh from free agency coming through and cracking that final 53 man I think KJ hamler cracks the final 53 man roster the speed that he has you you’re bringing a Deontay Hardy last season doesn’t work out and now you have hamler maybe a another player you can fit into that Gadget role on the outside and potentially fit him in as a as a punt returner too just just incredible speed uh what do you see happening when it comes to the 53 man roster something will discuss with both of our our guests coming up yeah I think something that we haven’t really touched upon that I think will be interesting to see how it plays out is the linebacker corpse behind Milano and uh excuse me Terell Bernard Nicholas marrow the veteran free agent signing Deon Jones and another veteran free agent signing so and then you AIO from Washington the rookie fifth round pick so there there’s three guys right there that it’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out I think and Joe Marino obviously made the original point but it’s very true and I’m going to reiterate it again they had to rely on AJ kleene and Dorian Williams last year AJ kleene was on vacation with his family before being called by Sha M dur to return to the team was obviously playing very valuable uh snaps yeah on the couch as they say yes on the couch and then Dorian Williams obviously had some issues in terms of understanding The Playbook where to be and reading the NFL defense and knowing where to be so Dorian Williams I’m assuming takes that jump I think in year two like you saw from TR Bernard where he’s going to be more called upon more relied upon when asked as depth immediate depth but the linebacker battle is going to be interesting and then of course like you said the wide receiver battle with KJ hamler uh quintes cus Andy Isabella Terrell Shavers Justin shter Chase Claypool those are all names that you’re going to have to really see battle it out and Quinta CEST is a guy that’s had experien at the Lions I know he’s coming off that one-year gambling suspension but he’s played in the NFL and has produced KJ hamler has been a little quiet in recent years but again like nck Erie said uh later in a pre-recorded conversation he brings kind of a difference to the wide receiver room and can be lined up anywhere on the field and then you have a m Hollins who again has that special teams leadership experience good run blocker then the uncertainty with Justin shorter Andy Isabell Isabella sorry I would say is kind of another one that’s I’m unsure of just because he hasn’t really produced at the NFL level in such a long time and the Terrell I think a lot of people have forgotten about Isabella with all this wide receiver talk and this offseason he was really the the hot name last year but he’s really gone by the wayside and uh maybe he makes his way back yeah because again Alex like you said and Nate says again later in the pre-recorded interview that the kickoff rule obviously changes things and Andy Isabella was asked to do some kick return duties at training camp at some point sometimes in the regular season when he was called upon but I think that’s another Avenue where Isabella can make the roster and then like I said Shavers a guy that Brandon beans obviously likeed they bring him back they keep bringing him back I think he has a opportunity here if he has a good camp and a good preseason to crack the roster and be that seventh guy and it’ll be interesting Alex that’s another conversation is how many receivers do they keep do they go with the six which they’ve been doing the last couple years or do they go with seven and they’ve only done that one year under be so as the obviously offseason progresses we will discuss that I’m sure more in depth yeah I like where your head’s at with the linebacking crew Edan Osio uh I I I think that might be the position where they look for some special teams help and and like Nate says later in this show I I think that’s where it’s going to come down to some surprises when it comes to the 53 man roster it’s going to come down to special teams as it typically does with the bills who can contribute uh in multiple phases and and and we’ll see down the stretch but before we get to our guest Matt B uh who will discuss the upcoming schedule reveal with do you like Prime Time games AJ as a fan who who who goes to games uh you went to a few last year I think of the playoffs as well do do you like them in in prime time or or do you prefer the one o00 or do you or you like me do you prefer the four o’clock that that’s really in my wheel health yeah so I I really don’t have a preference I would say like I’m pretty whatever the schedule is that’s kind of what I accept I don’t really have a preference I would say I think the excitement around a night game uh you know in the back half last season I did a lot of stuff with syracuse.com of just writing like the game details as the game went on play byplay so it kind of gave me a different feel of watching a game especially at night you’re not in that element you usually are you kind of relax so I do like the night games a lot um but again that that might change throughout time but as of now I’m really open to you know anything 1M games are are always fun I love the 425 slot like you said I think that’s a a pretty cool spot because then you could turn on red zone at one o’clock and watch all those games so there’s a benefit to the 425 at 8 o’clock in Prime Time games just because I love watching football so much that I don’t really care obviously I like watching the bills but Red Zone at one o’clock is just one of the best like days for me I just love doing that and when the Bills play at one obviously that does not happen so that’s kind of where that the debate happens I love the one o’clock slot but I also love the red zone time because there’s usually seven eight games in that window and you got Scott Hansen using the Octo box and all that stuff so I do like the the aspect of the 425 and night games just for that that Red Zone yeah as someone who’s been in the building for Prime Time games and had to work after game it’s not a lot of fun getting out of there after 2 am something that I would imagine Our Guest Matt V would agree with me with oh excuse me I’ll get the right layout here but Matt how are you this evening thank you for joining us we certainly appreciate your time uh you’re a father now and Big Time power washer we we saw this a lot of success with that what what what what do you uh have planned this weekend o no chores this weekend you know what I’m going to have to cut the lawn but I get a satisfaction out of cutting the lawn so I’ve just like leaned into the dad thing now that all of the chores around the house are almost enjoyable big big time red flag you enjoy mowing the lawn I I’m not sure I I Vibe with that but like I said thank you for joining us the sports director WKBW at Channel 7 co-host of It’s Always game day in Buffalo with our guy sale capacho and Matt we were just discussing the schedule what’s your preference as someone who’s in the building for every game during the season do you prefer the one o00 four o’clock or Prime Time games on the road I prefer the one o’clock just because then it gives us the most time to do what we need to do after the game and then it’s also usually not as tight of a turn to get back to Western New York wherever we are whether it’s that we can leave that night or if we’ve got to wake up the next morning and come back so I definitely prefer 1:00 games on the road at home I love the night games I love the spectacle of the night games I don’t mind having to work until 2: 3 in the morning because usually that means I don’t have to wake up and travel the next day so I can just kind of chill in the morning it’s a little different now when you have a baby who wakes up at 7:30 every single morning but yeah I love night games at home I love kind of all of the energy that comes with that I also think the bigger the game I like when it’s at night like I think back to you know the Bengals game that didn’t happen the night of Jamar Hamlin that was a big game and that felt like that needed to be on a big stage at night so there’s certain instances where what I just said about the one o00 on the road games gets thrown out the window but most of the time when the schedule comes out I’m going to be looking for a lot of hoping for a lot of okay standard one o’clock game in Baltimore great get on a flight that night come home don’t have to spend another night but I know that’s not gonna happen yeah Matt thank you for uh coming on joining us I’ve obviously enjoy all your work and obviously you had a very big uh hard-hitting topic with the Keon colan situation so as your phone stopped buzzing with all the interaction you see from that obviously that went viral to Macy’s extravaganzza so that was a very cool kind of introduction for Keon Coleman and I’m sure left a great impression on many Bills fans and bills mafia members yeah no it was crazy the reaction to that not necessarily a surprise because it was so just genuine and I think relatable for so many people that they loved the clip but the numbers were absurd I mean the numbers on the post alone got 20 million views and that was before it got aggregated anywhere everywhere picked it up within an hour there was direct messages in my inbox from ESPN Bleacher Report FanDuel Sports Illustrated every outlet that you could think of wanting the video and then they posted it themselves so I think that what I thought was going to be a ho hum just like hey let’s post another video certainly took on a life of its own and now 26 shirts is selling a mug and a t-shirt that have a cookie monster wearing a yellow puffy jacket catching cookies and I’m like how the heck did we get to this point all I’m going to say is like if Kean Coleman is good he is going to be a treat to cover but he’s got to be good he can’t just be like fun in press conferences if he’s good I think people won’t get enough of this guy yeah we waited a long time it was a it was a long night one and and we came up empty no picks uh we got to talk to Brandon Bean that was it second day we start off with a bang and and then when Keon Coleman comes to buffal on day three boy did he deliver that was a lot of fun and then you see uh his expression in in the bills embedded and and all that stuff in the pre-draft conversations the the tiger wish he he could uh comment this guy just has personality for days I can’t wait to get to know him but let’s shift back to the schedule that’s really the main reason why we brought you in you and S had a long discussion with Mike North NFL VP of broadcasting what was your most significant takeaway from that conversation for me it was learning that the NFL really leans into storytelling not only on a week- to week basis but when they look to assemble the schedule they really look to sell the story to the fan and I found that interesting an interesting aspect of that conversation you can find that on it’s always game day in Buffalo but what what was your uh most significant takeaway from that conversation yeah I like the point that you said about storytelling because I do think that at the root of this this is still a television show this is still entertainment like these NFL games are being broadcast so people can watch it as entertainment and enjoy it and even subconsciously there’s usually a storyline in their head that they sometimes don’t even know that they’re watching a game four but that’s what the league is trying to get them to do it’s like oh when is Kirk Cousins going back to Minnesota and Mike North brings up a point hey that’s a game that there’s going to be a lot of hype around but we want to get that done early because we want to make sure that one he’s healthy but two it’s not overshake shadowed by a potential playoff race for one of the two teams it’s almost not to the same level obviously but when Tom Brady went back to New England that was an early in the season game like that was one that they could have put out way further down the road but they wanted to kind of get it over with and they wanted to do it early in the year when they knew that the momentum was still going to be building and building so I think your point about the storytelling is an interesting takeaway for me I’m always I think a little bit more interested in what is going to happen with the bill schedule it feels like very much they are going to get the maximum number of Prime Time games if it’s not the maximum they’ll probably get five six is the most if they don’t get six they probably get five with the potential of another game turning into a Prime Time game down the road and I mean the quote that he said was like we’re not taking our foot off the gas with the bills because Josh Allen is must C TV and because of what they’ve been able to do for the last couple of years so you know we’re obviously very close to it because it’s the team we watch the most but I think from the outside looking in people really love watching the bills because it’s honestly it’s the Josh alen experience when he’s good he is as good as anybody in the league when he’s bad he is sometimes just a train wreck that’s happening in front of our own eyes and that’s great television yeah mant spot on with that and who knows they could have the six with a 425 a couple 425 games on a Saturday game so there’s always mixing and matching especially towards the end of the season when Saturday games really get underway but your gut feeling right now I’ll put you on the spot where do you think the bills will open this season and against who okay so math tells us that it is more likely to be on the road than it is to be at home just because they have the extra Road game this year so they’re going to play more games on the road so it’s probably a safer bet that they start the season on the road now I know that there have been instances where teams have played a ton of consecutive years starting at home starting on the road I just for some reason kind of get this and this is even really from The Mike North conversation it feels like the bills are due a little bit for a letdown of a season opener and I am totally okay with that like I would be totally fine if it was the New England Patriots come in Orchard Park for a one o’clock Sunday game or the Tennessee Titans come in Orchard Park for a one o’clock Sunday game that’s what I’m honestly hoping happens because all of these games that are big time like like you could put the bills against any of those Road opponents and you could absolutely justify it but at the same time those are going to be big storylines for the entire season that they don’t need to waste week one like everybody is likewell what if they start against Houston because of Stefon dicks right that could totally happen but you could also just do that game in week six and it’s going to people are watching football no matter what you put in front of them in the first week of the season they are so ex and that’s the same reason why every year they don’t always start with what looks like the absolute sexiest matchup it’s why every year it’s not Bill’s Chiefs right off the bat there’s going to be 45 million people who watch the game anyway so check a box and say okay well we like the upstart lions like honestly Houston is a super good there’s a super great chance that they start the season on the road in Kansas City because it’s almost like what they did last year with Detroit going on the road to start the season in Kansas City so I would say right now if I were a betting man it would be like the Jags in Buffalo for a Sunday 1:00 game but you know that that’s just completely a guess right yeah I see what you mean with with Houston kind of similarly to what they did with Detroit last year kind of anointing a team on the rise and a team that made plenty of moves this off season and and seems like they’re ready to take another step in the AFC but what’s the most intriguing matchup for the bills in your eyes or in other words the game you’re looking forward to most I think for me it is that Houston game on the road Stefan Diggs and just seeing how the bills match up with like I said an upand cominging team in their conference one with a Young quarterback who really set the league on fire last year that could be coming for that Crown uh that that the Kansas City Chiefs currently hold but also the bills are fighting for so I think it’s that Texans game is is it a different game you you have an eye on I’m sure uh a Miami LA game in early December uh would would suit your fancy uh pretty well going on the road for one of those games yeah for sure sure that’s one of the other things that I immediately look at like when the schedule comes out I’m really hoping that Seattle or La is before a bye so then I could try and enjoy a little bit of time out there before I have to come back I think the Houston game is probably the one that most fans are going to be the most excited about now I just have a hard time even though it’s something we’ve seen so many times thinking anything but Kansas City these Kansas City games are almost always exceptional when or lose for the bills I mean the game that they played in the playoffs last year I think it’s overshadowed because of the way it ended and because it was once again the way the bills you know just like kind of crumbled at the end that was a great game it was a really really good back and forth football game and the 13 seconds game is the best sporting event at any level that I’ve ever attended so you’ve got that year you’ve got the year on Sunday Night Football when they went into Kansas City and they beat the crap out of them then they’ve got all these games where they win on the final drave with a Taran Johnson interception because of the Von Miller pressure or you know some other play that happened at the end so for me it’s like Houston Kansas City uh San Francisco kind of in their own tier and then the next tier after that I would say is the the Jets and Miami both of those games just because I do think that those three teams are the real you know contenders within the division yeah there’s definitely a lot of talent in the AFC and I want to ask a quick question about the schedule in regards to the opponents the AFC South and NFC West that’s the two divisions the Bills play this season uh just your thoughts on the tougher division what division do you think will give the bills more problems you have the Colts with Anthony Richardson Texans obviously upand cominging team the Jags added a lot in free agency and then the Titans are the Titans but they still had will lavis who came back and beat the Dolphins to help the bills advance and and win the AFC East and the NFC West obviously has a ton of talent as well so just give me your thoughts on what division will give the bills more fits this year I think the NFC West just because I think of the teams that we have just said the 49ers are still the best team even though you’re getting them in Buffalo I still think of those eight teams the 49ers are still Far and Away just the most complete Dynamic team I think going on the road to Seattle is a really tough place to go get a win I don’t care if Gino Smith is the quarterback I don’t care what the situation is it feels like they’re always pretty good at home and then the Rams are a team that a couple years ago the bills kind of bullied in that season opener but I feel like the Rams then were even though they were coming off of a Super Bowl were kind of a shell of themselves without Odell Beckham with just the roster that they had at that point I think this Rams team is going to be sneaky good this year so I think three of the games for sure are going to be difficult and I also like the Cardinals more than I probably like the Titans probably about as much as I like the the Colts like I’m not the Anthony Richardson hype is interesting to me because the sample size is so small so like I hear people that I’m listening to on fantasy football podcast and like dynasty rankings so in on the Colts and I’m like maybe but I haven’t seen anything yet to think that they’re just going to once again be good like they could be fine I just the Colts don’t really worry me nobody in that division really does besides the Texans yeah now one more question about the schedule what games match up matchups or dates do you hope to avoid uh we spoke with Nate Gary he he’s coming up after you he says he tries to avoid I I think it was Thanksgiving is is that something you try to avoid obviously with with the newborn I’m sure the holidays are going to be tough for you are those the days you look to avoid or or any specific time slot as we referenced earlier if it’s at home a Thanksgiving game at home or a Christmas game at home I think it would be inconvenient but not like terrible just because for me if they play a Thanksgiving game at home it’s in the late window so it’s at 8 o’clock so you have the entire day to do what you want to do with your family with your friends maybe even take a nap and then try and head down to the stadium at four or five o’clock Christmas is the same way Mike North told us that they don’t want to ruin Christmas morning so they think that they would do like like a 3:30 7:00 kind of or a 3:30 6:30 for those two games and that’s the same thing if it was a 3:30 game leave my house at 1:30 get to the stadium a little bit later than I normally would but at least you have Christmas morning if it’s on the road those would be like very detrimental and I do not want to do that with our daughter’s second Thanksgiving and second Christmas and probably the first one that she’s going to remember so yeah that would be tough Black Friday on the road would maybe be the worst of all of them because then you’re traveling on the on you know Thanksgiving so that would that would stink um besides that though just just go Diamond Bri Road Show yeah just go full send there you go yeah it’s tough It’s funny because I say like oh it would really suck but at the same time it’s also maybe the most fun part of the job is going to all the you know going to the games and going in the road the the one I’m not this is not like a woe is me thing but everywhere they are going this year I’ve actually covered a game at before so I don’t get to check off I’m like staying at the same amount of stadiums which is totally fine but like then you got guys problems here yeah oh absolutely and I totally realized that but like S I think has been to every Stadium but Vegas and San Francisco because that was the co year I’m not even close to that I meant like 20 something um but yeah listen amazing I’m going to be at as many games as humanly possible and I’m very fortunate that I get to do that yeah it it is fun traveling during the holidays for games one thing I remember I think it was the Patriots game around Christmas a few years ago just being in the city of Boston and first of all the the discounted Hotel rat second of all you can walk around and it’s like a a ghost town uh it is unfortunate that a lot of the the bars and the restaurants aren’t open but at the same time just walking around such a historic City with nobody else around it was it was quite the experience uh but yeah I I I I am not in favor of holiday games uh especially Thanksgiving that’s that’s probably my favorite holiday with with the feast but yeah that’s certainly not something I look forward to but I will say though I will say sorry I didn’t mean to cut you off the best not the best game that I’ve covered because that was 13 seconds but very very very on the list is the Dallas Thanksgiving game so that one to be at that because of the stage almost felt like the bills arriving and to be there for that was really cool because I think we all kind of felt like after that game like whoa like they might be on to something here like they might not just be good they might be really good for a really long time and I’ve also never seen Miami at the end of last year was a little bit like this but just the pure excitement and joy from the team after the win even though it was a regular season win I remember standing in the hallway and those guys like Jordan Phillips and sha Lawson and Trey white walking off the field in Dallas and screaming and they were like nobody believed and like we’re like well most of us like thought you were going to win and they’re like not you like f these guys and F the and I was like oh like this is and then going into the locker room like it was like Cole Beasley was their hero and they’re like throwing him in the air and they were like screw them for letting you go they were just such a fun team to cover because they were still so under the radar and they were at the same time like not Superstars yet like covering Josh Allen in 2019 and 2018 was so much different than covering Josh Allen now Josh alen’s a superstar now and he’s like got requests to be on every interview ever and then it was like well people don’t really think he’s that good so he’s just like a regular dude you go talk to him about whatever so it was just it was that was like the most fun game ever and like Tim Graham says in the paragraph Factory that AJ and I are in and the the video Factory I guess that that you’re in you you want to be there for the Genesis of the story you want to tell it kind of from from start to finish and and you you certainly got that opportunity being there for that Thanksgiving game in Dallas AJ what do you got for Matt before we get him out of here yeah I just want to say that Thanksgiving game uh the throw to Beasley in his own End Zone Josh Allen backed up was probably that that was the moment Matt where I was just like wow this this kid uh he’s gonna be something so that was definitely something I I really remember from that game and obviously the the feast after on the field with the interviews is cool too but switching topics real quick before you have to go the 53 man roster any surprises uh coming in your eyes Alex thinks that KJ hamler has a sneaky uh yeah opportunity to make this 53 man roster I’m I’m really unsure I think the linebacker spot it’s just so early I think the linebacker spot’s going to be interesting and obviously all those receivers that are packed up four through seven four through actually like four through nine four through 10 so just where are you at any sneaky roster uh ads that could join this roster this fall no nothing like specifically position-wise just because I feel like at this point there’s still going to be changes like they have to bring in more people just from a strictly number standpoint but once they clear up that extra money I think I’m going to be interested to see how do they spend it is it with a pass rusher is it with a wide receiver is it with another defensive lineman so you know like you’re scrolling down the list right now it feels like Quinton Morris is a name that we’ve just kind of assumed will be on this team over the years are they going to keep three tight ends for sure are they going to bring in another name I don’t know Tommy Doyle’s another one as you’re scrolling down here Tommy Doyle has just continuously been been injured but was trending in a good direction before he ever got injured I don’t think it’s a hot take anymore I don’t think it’s a certainty that Demar Hamlin makes this team I think that they’ve got other safeties now that are younger and might have more upside I just don’t think they could have ever moved on from him last year but I don’t think they absolutely have to keep him this year unless he definitely earns a job after that I mean it’s like does Deon Jones make the team probably but I don’t know I mean there’s the guys that you know are locks there’s always a surprise offensive lineman or two that’s cut like you’re getting to will clap right here when they sign will clap it’s like oh yeah that guy started a lot of games in this league that’s a good smart veteran signing but then they also go out and they draft a couple people do they take the experience or do they take the upside and then like I don’t know about Casey twohill or Dwayne Smoot right like those guys that’s that’s who Nate said and and I’m giving something away uh forecasting here down the road he he said Casey two Hill keep an eye on him for a surprise cut yeah I mean it’s just like another player who has some upside and who has a little bit of productivity in the league but what if they decide that they like somebody younger what if Javon Solomon knocks their socks off this summer or what if they’re like hey like this is our only way of keeping Kings Ley Jonathan if we move on from Smoot or two Hill so there will be surprises it’s just probably a little bit too early to guess them the one thing I will say though to Alex’s point the way they’ve talked about KJ hamler and the void that they have on their team it feels like a little bit like Tavon Austin a couple years ago where there was a legitimate chance I think at this point when we were when we’re doing this now people thought he would make the team and even getting into training camp it was like oh yeah I could see like a world where Tavon Austin makes this team he ultimately didn’t but that’s kind of how I feel about KJ ham they don’t have really anybody with a ton of speed who can be a vertical Strat uh vertical threat and that’s like all KJ hamler can do so maybe that’ll work out yeah and I think Tavon Austin really was on his way to maybe cracking the roster and then I think he sustained some a groin injury or or something of the like and and some injury struggles kind of hampered his his ability to make the roster but Matt we really covered a lot really wanted to get to the schedule stuff uh yeah being so close to the conversation with with Mike Norr and is there anything we left out anything anything you want to add or or how’s the golf game you’re a dad now I’m sure you can’t get out as terrible as as often as you’d like but wrapping up final thoughts and and share whatever you have uh coming up on on WKBW and and it’s always game day in Buffalo well thank you I appreciate you guys having me on I know the podcast is still relatively new so what am I like guest like am I in the top 10 like am I in one of am I in one of the first 10 on the podcast that’s cool I think you’re number six I think you’re number six if I have that number who the this won’t offend me who is the first call who is the first guest we had we had defeat his ego it was Pino that mean that makes Hey listen I I think that he’s outstanding so that totally makes sense uh he is he was and and and he also was a a big help to AJ when he first started in this business so we we thought it was only fitting to to have him on the best mat in the media room for sure that you had on no it’s just a going to be for things when we think they’re going to get quiet they don’t obviously you know we’re doing this and rookie mini camp is right around the corner and then after that it’s like okay then you’ve already got workouts that are happening in a couple weeks you’ve got the bandits playing in the nlll championship games so we’ve got that covered for you over at Channel 7 and then after that you know it’s kind of like okay let’s unwind for a little bit in June let’s recharge the batteries a little bit and then let’s get going for training camp so we’re going to do a mock schedule episode on a always game day of Buffalo before the schedule comes out but we have to time it right because we’ll probably start to get some information early in the week like right when the schedule so the schedule basically will be sent out to the teams and then they’ll start to announce a game or two each day on the morning shows on all their partner affiliations so like Good Morning America Today’s Show CBS this morning so we have to yeah so we have to kind of do a mock schedule before before that happens because then it could potentially throw a wrench and everything and then you know schedule day to me is like it’s like I’m a mad scientist I’ve got like a wall and I’ve got Post-it notes everywhere and I’m following the things that I’ve heard and the leaks that I’ve seen and I’m like connecting the strings to all of them and it’s like even though we already know where we’re going it to me is just so interesting and so fun so yeah it’s going to be it’s going to be a lot of fun it’s always exciting covering the NFL the cycle never sleeps Matt boet Channel 7 it’s always game day in Buffalo thank you for joining us thanks for carving up out some time and we’ll see you tomorrow thank you m apprciate it thank oh cut him off there but much thanks to Matt uh great conversation with him learned a lot about his conversation with Mike North I had listened to it previously but just hearing him break it down and and the various aspects of it I I really found that storytelling aspect intriguing the bills are an easy team to tell stories about they have an underdog quarterback uh they have Keon Coleman the great personality you have Shawn McDermot becoming a a polarizing figure in the NFL Community for various reasons and you have the bills one of the most polarizing teams in the league uh still in search of its first championship so I think there’s a lot of stories to be told on this team and I can’t wait for them to be told I just hope that we get some manageable scheduling when it comes to Prime Time games and and and holiday games I hope the the players the coaches and also Us in the media aren’t stretched too thin uh this season yeah I’m excited for the schedule there’s always it’s honestly one of the biggest most fun days for me just because I love to see you know where the bills are playing in prime time and their in their schedule like Matt said you know feels like a rocket scientist putting these things out all over the place but yeah I really do it’s like the meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Charlie day he’s he’s got the cigarette and the white board and he’s like pointing to it it’s kind of like that it’s just things are all over the place all the moving pieces it is fun to follow but boy it is chaos yeah there’s always story lines when you have Josh Allen and I’m sure again there’ll be uh a lot more this season so we’ll see how the the year shapes out and so we’ll get to our next guest here bringing in Nate Gir of wgr 550 a pre-recorded conversation with him this afternoon got into his golf game got into the roster some rookie discussion even touched on the schedule as well with Nate so we hope you enjoy our discussion with Nate giri all right time to welcome in our next guest Nate giri Buffalo Bills pregame halftime and postgame and pregame show he does really the whole gamut there on wg5 50 a scratch golfer with a body like Fred Couples Nate thank you for joining us you can follow him on X Nate G sports are you questionable for your Saturday morning forsome how how’s the neck neck’s struggling man uh and I am not a scratch I wish I was a scratch uh I’ll I’ll I’ll take my my humble six and and and go home with that but um we like to butter up our guest here on right here right now listen I appreciate that but I know Twitter I’ll have five of your listeners dming me about wanting to play One V one since uh since they heard I was a scratch golfer um but yeah no been been fighting through some some neck issues here early in the season but uh hopefully it’ll be smooth sailing here in a couple weeks start really taking advantage of the nice weather we’re getting here in Western New York this is the early May early to miday is like some of my favorite time for Western New York golf it’s um you know when you get some of the greenest grasses and um and some of the best conditions you’ll have all year is is right now so U yeah couldn’t be a better time to to get on the golf course in Western New York that’s for sure Nate thank you for joining us you’ve obviously played a number of famous courses throughout your life what has been your favorite course that you’ve played with played at oh gosh that’s a loaded question um so what we do here I would say it’s probably somewhere I would say it’s probably a tie uh two US Open courses uh the Beth pach black uh course I played two three years ago now and then two years ago I played uh Brook Line Country Club where they had the 2022 US Open um I’d say it’s a pretty firm tie between both of those courses different um in many ways uh but the similarity is that uh they humble even the best of golfers um but you know I love the any course where you feel like you are you know kind of like sitting amongst history like coming up on 18 at Brookline six months later is when Matt Fitzpatrick hits that shot of the same bunker that I hit out of I did not put it as close as Matt Fitzpatrick did um but you know walking up there to 18 finishing shaking hands and then looking up where you know I think it was the 99 Ryder Cup team Phil Mickelson was and all of them were up on the on the rooftop patio celebrating their Ryder Cup Championship um and then obviously next year um the Ryder Cup will be at Beth paig black too so um yeah a lot of I would say those are those are probably my top two for sure so US Open courses you’re not putting Grover CLE Cleveland up there another another former US the 1912 US Open that’s right just just a couple of years ago right right I don’t think any of us were around for that one all right enough golf talk we do have to get you out to bavia Country Club Terry hillj the other day shot a 39 at BCC so guy can really stroke it we’ll have to put you guys up against each other uh but I’ll I’ll take Nate give me like 40 strokes and see what happens let’s dive into the Bills roster that’s why we brought you on 53 man roster projections you’re starting to see them surface on social media and a good time to talk about it with rookie mini camp coming up OTAs about to come back around do you have any surprises you see making their way uh out of training camp with a jersey I’m sorry to say it but I’m gonna go with Chase Claypool I think the upside that he presents I know he hasn’t done it in many years but this will be the first time he’s playing with a legitimate quarterbacks and SP rothberger early in his Pittsburgh career if he and Josh Allen can kind of mesh together and create that chemistry throughout OTAs and training camp I think it’s going to be Claypool but do you have any surprises uh in your mind when it comes to the Bills final 53 man roster out of training camp you know I I maybe not a surprise make as much as maybe a surprise cut um you know Casey two Hill is a guy they went out and signed this off season um but obviously as a position that they you know addressed later on in the draft in the sixth round um Solomon kid out of Troy who’s you know kind of I one of the more productive players um in college football over the last two years leading the NCA last year in sax um and and obviously that you know they’ve used free agency to fill the position they brought back AJ Essa um I don’t know that they have that top end player at the position um but Casey T Hill’s a kind of that effort guy doesn’t have a lot of you know he’s not a double digit sack guy or hasn’t been over the course of his career in Washington but I think to me it’s so tough when you try to do roster projections 53 man roster projections in May because I I like to think of sort of the things that maybe some of the things that lied to us during training camp last year which was you know I thought khil Shakir had a very poor training camp last year um and really found himself buried on the depth chart for the first three four five weeks of the season um and then you know we saw his game Elevate we saw his role increase um I think I said it was like maybe 12 snaps week one and then led the team in snaps over the last uh three weeks at the wide receiver position so I think even with the guys that really impress you during training camp um it doesn’t necessarily translate over into if or when they make the 53 man roster success on the field during the regular season and I think equally as much the guys that struggled during training camp aren’t always the players that they appear to be during training camp so I I I always look forward to training camp and and mini camp season um but you tend to get a better feel when you turn the game film on and you get preseason action where I thought Shakir played well in the preseason he just didn’t really particularly play well down to down repto W in practice um so for me that defensive end position is I want to stop short of calling it deep because I don’t think it’s particularly topheavy but I do think there are a lot of bodies there and I’m sure there will be a surprise veteran cut with uh sort of the pieces that they’ve brought in to to supplement the top two which of course Gregory so and Von Miller yeah K Shakir is a perfect example Nate of a guy that came in his rookie season struggled in the r blocking aspect of his game rarely saw the field then again last season like you mentioned I think in the pre in the preseason in training camp struggled a bit and then you you see his run blocking develop throughout the course of the Season which then led him to more opportunities on the field took full advantage of it another guy that the bills kind of brought in for that same role Mack Holland there’s a a lot of debate around him surrounding if he’s a roster lock I put out something on Twitter and a lot of people mentioned KJ hamler which again KJ hamler did not play a snap last year and has only played 10 games in the last three seasons uh compared to a m Hollins who’s seen the field uh in 30 Games over the past in the past two seasons so again a big difference there so maybe talk about that intriguing wide receiver four wide receiver five Camp battle and then on a scale of one to 10 once you answer that if the bills season started today how confident are you with the Bills wide receiver yeah it’s intriguing sort of like am I going to choose between uh you know grape nuts and Cheerios it’s not very sexy uh but uh you know it’ll get the job done it’ll keep you full uh lots of fiber right that’s kind of what this this wide receiver room uh you know sort of you get older Nate you need that fiber that’s right the fiber plays an important role in digestion uh you want to have the right bacteria in the stomach right these are all things you start to think about when you get older and that’s right that’s right the the special yogurts um so yeah I I think that it’s not a particularly overwhelming uh or overwhelmingly intriguing position from the fact of you know our good to great players not going to make this roster um you know I think the conversation is interesting around KJ hamler because he seems to be appearing a lot uh whether it’s Team videos that they’re posting um you know I I he is a really intriguing name obviously I was kind of a flyer um once he was like one of those first priority for agent signings um when the regular season ended and I I’m I’m sort of wonder ing what his role could be and I think because his diverse skill set I think you have a lot of redundancy right now on the roster Matt Collins chase Claypool Keon Coleman um these larger bodied receivers that are boundary receivers there’s not a ton of depth any longer in the slot so I think a guy like KJ hamler um who I think can also play special teams that’s really where I think his value elevated during the draft process when he was at Penn State was well this is a guy that can also return kicks and his electrifying kick returner this is uh a team right now that doesn’t have to me a clear-cut guy other than maybe Tai Johnson as your team’s kick returner as the rules in the NFL are set to dramatically shift and lean more towards into returning and getting returns um in the kick game so with that I I don’t think there to me is room for ma Collins Keon Coleman and Chase Claypool um to me it’s it’s a it’s a firm battle between Claypool and M Hollins um and and I’m going to lean towards the special team’s credibility and and and experience of a Matt Collins who can by the way they’re losing a Gunner and San Neil um so I do think that they’re going to need somebody in that Gunner roll and and Chase Claypool does not really and again and I said this the second the signing happened you are talking to one of the biggest Chase Claypool proponents coming out of the draft as a guy that I really wanted the bills to Target uh amazing college career at Notre Dame and if anyone knows me knows I’m a big Notre Dame fan love to chase Claypool um that ship has sailed for me for him as a pro um because he’s not walking off off the bus and is your your first or second best receiver anymore and if he’s not your first or second best receiver then he needs to be a special teams ace and I just don’t know what evidence anyone has over the last two or three seasons that screens to you that chase Claypool is the type of effort Hustle Heart player that will be required of the person that makes the team in this role to play special teams when that is exactly who M Hollins has been his entire career so um that battle for the bottom of the room um I think is interesting maybe short of intriguing um but I think there is a lot of redundancy on on sort of the outside there um and then as for like and you said the sort of the state of the position right as it 10 how confident if it started today probably a three or four um and that’s not to tell you that I hate the position or that I hate the Coleman draft pick um I like Keon Coleman I think that there’s a very interesting um route to where or how he might be successful early and what how that might change year two year three um but I do think that he’s a very interesting piece in this offense I like khil Shakir a lot um I like Curtis Samuel I don’t exactly know what you’re getting at in a 27y old Curtis Samuel um after a couple years of of of sort of downplay in Washington again albeit with bad quarterbacks I think the quarterback with the most touchdown throws to uh Curtis Samuel is Kyle Allen in his career uh if that doesn’t scream that’s a guy that has not had a real chance to play with Elite quarterbacks um you know I think that’s you know part of the conversation there but I think if you ask me as a whole how I feel about the pass catchers now I think that changes a little bit um I would maybe move that closer to a five or six when you’re adding in Dawson Knox and obviously Doon concade um because I do think they’ve got a really good tight end room but can Joel Brady get more in the passing game out of the tight end room other than to say we want to run more 12 personnel and have a you know a full-time Blocker in there so um yeah I think as a as a pass catching group I feel a little bit more optimistic than I do specifically about the wide receiver room which I think lacks that um veteran that’s done it I was hoping it was going to be Odell Beckham Jr obviously he could sign in Miami um and you know I’m gonna not hold my breath on a Michael Thomas that’s not a player um that I’m particularly interested in again for the same reasons we talked about with Chase Claypool not a guy that’s going to come out here and help you on special teams so then who is it I I don’t I don’t think that guy exists maybe it’s mvs um I think they do need another speed element a downfield back side um nine guy that can at least strike a little fear in defenses um because that is a throw that Josh Allen and very few other quarterbacks are capable of making as a third or fourth read is the backside go route um and he can do it and has done it sometimes to a fault um but I think you always want to keep that that safety valve in an offense and right now I’m not sure that player exists on the roster it’s an interesting way of looking at the wide receiver room through a special teams lens and it’s it’s a good way to look at it you lose a Saran NE you lose the the number of special teams contributors that they did from a season ago you’re certainly going to have to replenish in that regard and it will be interesting to see how Keon Coleman fits in will he get the number of targets everybody’s expecting will it take him a little bit uh to catch on so a lot to to stay tuned with in terms of the wide receiver room one thing’s for sure if Coleman uh doesn’t fit in with the bills on the field I think he’s got a career in Media or or comedy perhaps ahead of him or perhaps as a Popeyes cashier we saw that on social media this weekend as well but moving on to the rookie class which of these first year players excites you most with rookie mini camp coming up on Friday we’ll be there at one Bills Drive is it Coleman is it a late round guy like a Cedric fan pran Granger I like van PR Granger I think he can challenge for a starting spot maybe left guard or Center out of training camp I’m not so high on the David Edwards Conor McGovern situation McGovern’s never played center in the NFL Edwards uh a recent injury history and and didn’t get much time last year outside of his role as the jumbo tight end so I think you’re expecting a lot from two new or two players and new roles and I think Cedric vanran Granger could sneak up and and be waiting in the wings there yeah at the center position I I I I definitely agree with that I I think at some point he starts games um I mean his resume speaks for itself I mean you know first team second team All-American last year First Team all the last two seasons started 44 straight games uh captain in his two seasons I mean is a player that really checks a lot of boxes and and and I think it was John ledard that that put um sort of with with Van pran um that the draft process wasn’t particularly good to him short arms uh didn’t test particularly well but you turn on the film um he’s a guy that is constantly um downhill great player a great leader so yeah I think for me uh that’s definitely somebody I’m looking at I to me at first I think a lot of people once you shook off the fact that they didn’t take a receiver in the second round um and that he didn’t do the double dip like maybe a lot of people had hoped I like Cole Bishop a lot um I think his game reminds me a lot of Jordan puyer early on um a guy that can play The Box can play The Deep uh can play deep half can play deep middle can play cover three cover four cover two um and then be a box Defender and I think he’s going to push Taylor rap for a starting position right away um and it would not Shock me at all if the versatility between um you know bishop and Mike Edwards uh maybe even elevates the safety position a little bit over what they had last year just based on the injury history and the on andof play of of Micah Hyde and then obviously the I think a very reduced version of Jordan puyer last year where they ran more dime looks out of necessity um moving wrap into that deep safety role and I really like that a lot if you’re swapping out Cole Bishop for Jordan por you’re sacrificing you know 10 pounds but I think you’re creating more versatility um what he was able to do uh during the Senior Bowl um was really Elevate I think his draft stock and what he was doing in coverage in man coverage in zone he could do both of those things um and to me it’s also him as a Blitzer that’s why I like him a lot in in potential dime situations that’s where you bring r on the field have him play as your second linebacker and we know that at least the version of the defense that that sha mcder called by the way I do think sha MC’s going to call defense again next year um I don’t have any Insider information I think it’s an inkling um I think he got the itch I think he was very Juiced up about doing it and I thought they had had great results short of being down to their fifth and sixth linebacker in an AFC divisional game against one of the greatest tight ends ever um and I think if they were going to make that move I think they would have already announced it already that that bad the plays I don’t think they’d be waiting to announce that babage is going to be the play caller I totally agree with that and I think with that that Bishop maybe represents a player that can really thrive in the blitzing role on third down um there as well so I to me the versatility the ability to stand up on day one and start um and then obviously I think right away even if he doesn’t win a starting job I would be surprised if he doesn’t that special team prowess right there is the kind of player um that I think you’d look at and making an impact right away so I’m very excited about the pick of Cole Bishop um some people thought it was a reach in the second round some people saw him as a third round player um but I think you know all the all the reviews that I’ve heard from people that I you know respect and follow and watch a lot of film um all really like the pick especially from the versatility and you know the coach that he’s paired up with who is you know kind of a defensive back Whisperer yeah Cole Bishop Nate along with me was my favorite pick I you know saw him at the senior Bill and mobile like you said he really upped his game and level of play there and really showed NFL Scouts and Executives who he truly is the versatility obviously off the charts and I think the mcdermit thing real quick excuse me talking with like the mcdermit part of this defense I think babit that can also help him develop these younger players on the defensive side of the ball so he can focus still more on he’ll have the title of defensive coordinator but he can develop these younger players that are now on this defense that you know the new wave so along the lines of Cole Bishop who do you think has more snaps this year and this might be an easy question because obviously now I know you’re very high on Cole Bishop like myself but Dwayne Carter or Cole Bishop who has more snaps in 2024 I think Cole Bishop um and I think it’s strictly because the position that he’ll be playing I I think it’s going to be hard to take Bishop off the field uh and I think if you’re moving him from safety into the box he’s still staying on the field I think there’s a very good chance that he’s a three down player where Dwayne Carter like him a lot that’s the position even the best player on that defensive line is going to be in some level of rotation so because of that rotation alone I do think that gives um the leg up to Cole Bishop but I am excited from again another guy at the Senior Bowl that I think helped his draft stock considerably um a high motor player um a guy that really I think can stand out um in Pass ining Downs I really like him maybe coming in for a dcoin Jones on third down and him having him and that Oliver in the middle really excites me um so yeah no I I I I think Carter’s gonna have also a role right away as a as a complimentary rotational piece and I think his his role go grows without throughout the season but I I think it’s G to be very hard to keep Cole Bishop off the field at any capacity you now we’re all waiting the NFL schedule release to shift gears here from Personnel to to more uh Grand scope uh dis discussion a lot of people thought it was going to be this week instead it’s going to be next week and when you look at the bills 2024 opponents in potential game dates is there anything from your perspective as someone who has to do the pregame do the half time do the post game any dates that you’re looking to avoid do you like the holiday games would you rather go without without those uh more Sunday 1M what’s a perfect schedule for Nate giri the pregame halftime postgame show host never Thanksgiving ever again uh I would prefer to never have a Thanksgiving game if I could if I could uh if I could help it so for me um I like Sunday one o’clock games a lot um gets me home by 8 o’clock I can watch the night game on my couch which I like um and I just kind of love the vibe that a 1M game especially in September and October have in Buffalo when you get to the stadium you got everybody tailgating outside the kind of the quiet before the storm when I’m in the stadium I I I love the 1M the vibe to the 1M games um but I do think those are largely a thing of the past it wouldn’t surprise me again if they have two or three of those and then they got a bunch of 425 windows and National Windows even when they’re not playing prime time they’re a team that they end up playing a lot in that National Window 425 Tony Romo you you know the drill um so for me um I’m not a huge fan of Sunday Night Football um love Monday Night Football I can I can do a Monday night game all the time uh hopefully they get stuck again with just one Thursday night game um a bunch of Monday nighters and maybe one or two Sunday nights and please oh please what I love uh to get Bill’s Jets on a Monday Night Football um early in the season at home uh that would be a real that’ be a nice I’ve turned my attention and my hatred towards uh Jets fans as uh it’s like the end enemy of your enemy is your is your friend and that’s how I’ve now started to view the Dolphins because the Dolphins can’t beat the bills anyways so why are we pretending what what what do we have to be so threatened about and hate Miami Dolphins fans other than their weird obsession with their quarterback which you know is not much unlike Bills fans we ever a lot of bills Gs are obsessed with Josh Allen but he’s you know pretty good and has won a playoff game and and so on and so forth but um to me the idea in this conversation around the New York Jets that happens seemingly every year definitely the last years um that they’re now you know firmly in the Super Bowl window it to me is laughable so um give me them early let’s you know have a Josh Allen bounceback game a nice slap in the mouth for them would be uh would be great for me so uh yeah I would love a week one week two Monday Night Football bills Jets at uh at High Mark stadium that would be uh chef’s kiss for me so along those lines Nate my next question for you is can the ghost of Aaron Rogers past reclaim as his MVP level um and make all the Jets fans dreams come true uh because again I think in my personal opinion last season going into it I thought the Jets were the biggest uh you know they were they were the team that could have thrown the bills in the AFC East just because of that defense and now they add Mike Williams they have Garrett Wilson they got Malachi Corley the the r the yak machine so do you think with that defense and Rogers playing at a above average level the the Jets have the best chance of dethroning the bills in the AFC East AJ I can’t believe you didn’t uh you didn’t mention men their 36-year-old uh you know all proo tackle that hasn’t played at that level in like 5 years or um you know I don’t know like to me I’m they did get Hassan reck and that that is a nice that’s a nice move for them on the edge um because they used a first- round pick last year on Will McDonald who played half the season was a healthy scratch for the rest of the time because he was a bad first- round pick um to me no I mean Rogers was not good the last full season he played in Green Bay they missed the playoffs um had you know to me sure he was injured um but or he had an injury to his thumb or whatever but to me at 40 years old he’s banged up coming off coming off of a an Achilles injury which you know to no one’s surprise he didn’t end up finishing the season in a playoff run for them um as someone that used to be a big Rogers fan I don’t think this is the same player that and I know he won an MVP two in a row not all that long ago um father time comes quickly um and especially when you get to 40 3940 38 3940 in the NFL at that position the drop off happens pretty quickly just go back in time to all the greats Joe Montana obviously concussion issues but that game dropped quickly uh towards the end it was it started to get ugly for Jim Kelly it started getting quite ugly for Tom Brady frankly at the end did it not um with Pro Bowl level receivers on the outside and a very good offensive line in front of them so no um I don’t think he’s going to return to his MVP form I think he will still be the best quarterback that has been in a Jets uniform for you know since Joe nameth but not saying much right I mean you could put John knna the ghost of John KN in there and he’d probably feel pretty good about that too so right I mean you know so I think for me are they a legitimate threat in the AFC East sure are they a Super Bowl threat absolutely unequivocally no they are not they are to me not even in the top seven in the AFC that’s still a team that’s going require their defense to be a top two top three unit to win football games and defense is consistently a a a a you know the mountains and valleys thing you can get your highest Highs but it’s the hardest thing to sustain year-over-year is to have a top one top two defense um you know they’ve been incredibly healthy on the defensive side of the ball they did get a little bit better on the offensive line um but I think to me that’s a team that that wide receiver room does not scare me Mike Williams I don’t know what’s he look like after an ACL injury he didn’t look particularly fast before it um I like Malik cor a lot we lost him Alex we did L you got me now sorry had a call Top in um but I do like some of the pieces that they got and and what they got at the wide receiver position but outside of Garrett Wilson alen Lazard I mean I don’t know I’m not particularly worried about that room um and Bree Hall was talked about getting I mean his coach was publicly shaming him at the podium um for not hitting the hole the right way so yeah I don’t I’m this is not a team that scream Super Bowl Contender um could they contend for the division sure I think it’s very likely they’ll be more in the in the Wild Card conversation than they will the the division lead so that’s that’s my take on the Jets all right we got you going on Jets and Rogers we wanted to get you going on two in the Dolphins but we’re running out of time here so we we’ll we’ll save that that for next time I know you could probably go go on and on but we missed your podcast Food For Thought with Bruce exclusive we couldn’t let you go without asking you the Hot Topic that’s been going around social media just the last few days I mean it’s it’s honestly always a Hot Topic but it’s been uh spurred on the last few days the wing conversation does barbell get too much credit as as the best Wing in Buffalo it’s it’s kind of been anointed as the king of wings from my perspective I’m a 911 guy love the crisp I I I love the simp it of the hot medium mild if you want a good sauce barbell is probably your choice but what’s your take on the entire thing is is is barbill given too lofty praise in the wing discussion I think so um again this is not to say I don’t like a barbell Wing um but for me delicious uh for me it’s 911 um I think they’ve got pound-for-pound the best Wing I’ve ever had I think adolf’s first aard is right up there too which is you know convenient vely two blocks from my apartment uh which is both a convenient uh thing and a disaster um I also think belt line which is across the street for my apartment um are also right up there as some of the best wings in Buffalo again the bigger crispier um wing and the Simplicity of the 9911 sauces too and and their fries are uh are are terrific I I I you know obviously took a couple years ago I took Alton Brown on a wing tour with Andrew gerero from the Buffalo news or formerly the Buffalo News I should say um and went to barbell first and you know liked it but there was not on the top of his list as like checking all the boxes uh but I do agree on the sauce you know the honey butter barbecue is fantastic and delicious but yeah if I’m last day on Earth and I got one more meal to have it’s going to be a triple order 30 wings of 911 Hots and I’m going to down every single one of them also I don’t want people to sleep on Wing nuts it’s a different Wing um a different experience correct different experience uh but I do really like their wings as well AJ your opinion I think you’ve told me before I think Sunny Reds maybe no I barbel is my favorite win the Cajun honey butter barbecue with the homemade blue cheese I just think it’s like you know how like with dffs a couple years back people started like is dffs really that good like I think barbell has such notoriety and obviously Eric wood his great podcast s it on Buffalo he’s having all these bills coaches players come on and say that barbell is their favorite Wing or the majority of them so I think people it’s like a human condition where people just kind of like okay we’re sick of hearing about Barb being the best sng let’s you know let’s talk about something new but I think has a great wing and Wing nuts is again a very unique Wing the medium are super hot so I always go the Wingnuts mild that’s whato I think that’s my favorite sauce the Wingnuts mild and then the honey garlic is my other those are like the two that I get and I like hot I like the wing nuts mild simply because of the taste it’s not even a hot or or mild thing to me yeah so I’m right there with you on that as well so yeah there’s a lot of great places but yeah barbell is definitely hyped up and people are definitely getting a little uh a little tired because there’s a lot of great places in Buffalo yeah the mob mentality I think is taken over with with with the whole barbill situation but that’s certainly not to doubt discount the quality of their product but Nate we kept you a little longer than we imagined but great stuff as always thank you for joining us what do you got coming up uh Golf Course or otherwise yeah I got actually a big golf trip coming up next month I’ll be going to Tobacco Road for the second time which I’m super excited about um and then Myrtle Beach uh so playing a couple of courses down there super excited about that got 100 holes coming up next month that I’m hopefully going to get my my body uh prepared for where I’m doing for charity walking 100 holes from uh from Dust to Dawn so or dawn to dusk whichever one comes first um so yeah lot lot of golf coming up uh here in in the next couple of weeks that’s for sure Nate giri The Life of Riley thank you for joining us my friend thanks guys thanks [Music] M all right a great conversation with Nate giri we’d like to thank him for joining us also Matt B for joining us as well we’ve had some great guests to start the podcast right here right now live Buffalo football talk and very grateful for all of them spending a few minutes with us and in dissecting what we’ve seen from the bills this off season it’s sure to be an exciting season AJ this is a team in transition Brandon Bean admitted that in his post draft comments so think there’s a lot of discussion to be had over the next several weeks and months uh last season there were a few positional battles uh you think about Terrell Bernard fighting it out with with Tyrell Dodson among them but I think this year there’s going to be so much to watch during mini camp OTAs and training camp you’re gonna have to come back and watch rhrn each week yeah there’s GNA definitely be growing pains with this team there’s going to be growing pains with right here right now as we oh that’s that’s what I thought you were going to say growing pains with us come on give us some credit here yeah there’s going to be you know it’s going to be we’re all going to learn I’ll have the airpods in next time I finally figured that out after years and years of not having to figure it out so I figured that out quick I think I I think I piped in our video halfway through gir’s uh first little Spiel there I I kind of took us by surprise in the corner so yeah certainly Growing Pains to be had on our end as well yeah so we’ll we we’ll figure those out but yeah we’re getting our reps in the bills obviously need to get their reps in in a big season again I think there’s a a lot of uncertainty with this team Brandon Bean said it himself multiple times there’s going to be growing pains and a great question I was just going to get to that Growing Pains worse than mid-season last year doubt it that’s the that’s the craziest thing about last season was Brandon Bean stood at the podium I want to say near the trade deadline Alex I don’t know if you remember this exact press conference but he was discussing that this team is still trying to find its identity and a lot of people took that as how can this team still trying to find it find its identity 12 weeks into the year when they’ve all played together for so long and this culture has been established so it was an interesting comment but yeah I think there’s going to be growing pains I think with a new upand cominging Young team with the a lot of people you’re trusting to be leaders that maybe haven’t been in that position before um along with all the rookies that are going to have key snaps where in the past few years with sha mcdermit he’s gotten away with using veterans in most spots he hasn’t had to really count on the rookies if if Dorian Williams wasn’t playing well let’s throw AJ clown out there let’s put Thell Dodson in so there’s going to be I think more of a trust in the rookie class the younger guys and it’s going to be a fun year again with Growing Pains yeah and uh a lot of good Wing talk on today’s episode you and I indulged in 911 not not long ago and uh that that was certainly it was my first time there I think your airpods are wreaking havoc on the end of our broadcast now and now I can’t hear you so AJ has disappeared I think that’s our sign to wrap it up so we’ll see you next time on right here right now it’s been a joy thank you Nate giri and Matt boet for joining us uh for my cohort AJ can we hear you now AJ yes I’m back I don’t know what happened I I jinxed myself at the airpods little a little airpod snafu yeah those are the growing pains we were talking about but thank you for joining us and we’ll see you next time peace out a
