Bills send all rookies home after coronavirus outbreak

Since the Toronto Blue Jays have decided to play in Buffalo, the teams that call the city home have become almost irrelevant. So when ESPN'S Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN reported all Bills rookies were sent home from camp, it came as a bit of a shock.

Even more shocking was that the Buffalo Bills have an ESPN reporter. Thank you Marty Fenn of Clutch Points for that bit of Information.

 

“As we were informed by medical experts as training camp opened, we expected to have positive tests for COVID,” the team said in a statement to ESPN. “With 5 since the beginning of the testing period last Tuesday, we decided to take a disciplined, proactive and preventative approach to hopefully eliminate additional cases within our team.

The Bills’ rookies first reported on July 21 to begin testing. The rookie who tested positive Thursday did so after registering three negative tests, a league source said."

Marty Fenn stated the player was asymptomatic. "The rookie who tested positive is reportedly asymptomatic, but will have to wait five days until receiving another test and being cleared to enter the team facility.

Undrafted rookie cornerback Ike Brown was previously placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, with defensive tackle Vincent Taylor and wife receiver Duke Williams also being placed on the list on Wednesday."

As Fenn states, the league has been doing everything possible to make sure they have proper safety procedures in place. There will be little to no fans in attendance and players can opt out of their twenty year.  Training camps have been reduced in size and the preseason canceled. 

There's not a lot more the league can do at this point besides finding a bubble city and moving the start of the season back a few weeks. Roger Goodell is animate that league will start on time. With the spike in virus cases, it's still possible for the season to be canceled.

Sean McDermott reveals the one thing Buffalo is missing

The Buffalo Bills won a wildcard spot in 2019, surprising nobody who paid attention during last offseason. This was Buffalo's second Playoff appearance this century.

The Bills have not been dominate since the early 90s. With Tom Brady gone, the Bills and Dolphins have a slim chance of dethroning the Patriots from atop the AFC east.

McDermott has continued to improve the Bills, bringing in a quality backup quarterback and a Top tier receiver.

Like all sports teams, the Bills are unable to perform normal activities due to the covid Virus. Which is hindering players development.

Matthew Schmidt of Clutch Point wrote "Head coach Sean McDermott understands the obstacles that his team is facing and recently said as much, specifically noting the aerial attack as an area of trouble:"

“We usually spend about 70 percent of our spring trying to shape our passing game,” said McDermott, via The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. “There’s no pads on so not a lot of sense spending a whole lot of time on the run game in spring ball. In training camp it flips a little bit, starts to even out, maybe 60-40, 50-50, because you have pads on and you can work the 9-on-7 drills. That’s the biggest thing we’re missing, time on task in developing the passing game.”

McDermott is giving the AFC East back rivalry  football. Something rarely seen over the last twenty years.

While the Jets are still the practice squad in the AFC East, the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots should bring in two of the three wildcard spots. I look forward to watching Buffalo and their number two defense, along with the other two teams, destroy every team outside the east and show everyone how weak the AFC East really Is.

McDermott is already making 29 other teams wanna shout.  We'll see if he can make his division rivals shout after the 2020 season kicks off.

Bills' Sean McDermott reveals what will get Norman Back to form.

Norman signed with the Bills on March 18 that allowed him to reunite with his defensive coordinator in Carolina.

Norman a former pro bowler has been in decline over the past two seasons. Leading to his termination. 

Nico Beato of Clutch Point reported "It came to a head in Week 12 of the 2019 season when interim head coach Bill Callahan benched Norman in favor of Fabian Moreau."

McDermott is hoping to return Norman to the level he had before they separated. McDermott blamed the system, personal, and culture in Washington for Norman's decline. The Redskins were a dumpster fire ranking 27th on defense and 32nd on offense in 2019. A far cry from the team McDermott fielded in Buffalo.

"That’s another example of people coming to Buffalo and regaining, in this case, a better version of one’s self.” McDermott added "He experienced great success in Carolina with our culture and system, and hopefully coming to a similar culture and system, he’ll be able to regain his form. I know he’s working hard,” said McDermott" 

Buffalo ranked 2nd if defense in 2019, and is rivaling the defense the Bills' had between 1987-1993. Buffalo looks to reclaim the division they surrendered to the Patriots in 2001, after losing an 8 year rivalry.

Bills' Sean McDermott Opens Up About Stefon Diggs Trade

Diggs joins a loaded receiving core in Buffalo, months after he spent a season complaining about how horrible it was to be a Minnesota Viking.

Diggs Who averaged nearly a fifth of a football field per catch, 18 ypc, finds himself now pairing with a risk taking gun slinger.

The 26 year old wideout has already played in five playoff games. During his five seasons Diggs also recorded 4,623 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 365 catches.

"The offense might deal with some rust after missing spring workouts..." “At the end, if you look at the production that Stefon has experienced over the course of his career, that speaks for itself,” McDermott said. “He’s played in big games and he’s had big roles in those games.” “It’s an opportunity for us, to get us a good football player that’ll help us win,” McDermott added said Marty Fenn of Clutch Point. 

The Bills were ranked 23rd in offense in 2019. 

Bills' Brass Reveal What Jake Fromm Pick Meant For Josh Allen

Bills' GM Brandon Beane said Fromm was brought in to compete for a backup role. The league has seen over the past few years how a backup quarterback can have an Impact on a team. 

Nick Foles, then back up to Carson Wentz lead the Eagles to a superbowl. That same year Bills' Backup quarterback Nathan Peterman came in and threw an interception to allow the Jaguars to advance on in the playoffs.

Beane told ESPN "Adding Fromm was just… a guy that we had on our board that we really thought had a great college career and he’s very smart. He’ll add to the competition to backup Josh, but Josh is our entrenched starter.”

Allen led the Bills to their highest win total  this millennium with ten, and got them a wild-card berth, during his second season.

Jim Kelly had Frank Reich backing him up. Reich was a valuable asset, who led the greatest comeback in NFL history against the Houston Oilers, well prior to superbowl 51 that is. 

"Fromm is simply there for insurance purposes and to obviously set up the franchise with a suitable backup for the near future." wrote Siddiqi of Clutch Point.

Governor Andrew Cuomo Allows New York teams to start training

While the "New York" Jets and "New York" Giants are still waiting for their states' permission to open and start training; The Governor of New York is allowing Sports teams to start their normal routines.

What this means is while the Jets cannot train, the Buffalo Bills, the only real New York Team; can get a jump on the regular season. The Giants and Jets will have to wait on their home state of New Jersey. 

Marty Finn of Clutch Points broke the story; Here's what Cuomo said On sunday "Starting today, NY professional sports leagues can begin spring training. On Tuesday, veterinarians can reopen statewide."

This is also good news for the Bills' training staff who can begin to work on their players come Tuesday.

The state of New York has lost 23,282 people due to the coronavirus. Those are just the numbers known, and New York had the largest number of tests done in the United States; Despite the president calling it a hoax and asking the governor to slow down on testing because it was making the US look bad. 

New York citizens still are in social distancing but this is great news that the state is close to reopening. Responsible citizens will make that happen but it will take time and patience. For now, who's ready for some football?