An offseason of both acknowledgment and rising expectations continues for Bears’ TE Colston Loveland. After being featured among the top 10 players at his position earlier this summer, the 2nd year man can now be found alongside a group of both rookies and veterans poised to make an impact on the retail market. This comes via the NFLPA’s annual “Rising Stars List”, which “forecasts [the] next wave of players expected to drive fan demand and merchandise sales.” As mentioned, the list highlights both rookies and veteran players, with Loveland appearing alongside notable veterans such as Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers , Buffalo Bills RB James Cook, and New England Patriots DB Christian Gonzalez . Unsurprisingly, the rookie side of the list features a number of highly-drafted players in some big markets, such as Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza, Dallas Cowboys S Caleb Downs , and New York Giants LB Arvell Reese. Loveland’s marketability can be debated, but there’s certainly a strong case to be made in his favor. His strong performance on the field, the home market of Chicago, and the charisma he’s displayed both on and off the field likely serve as the foundation of his place on this list. Heck, he’s even going to be featured in the upcoming Bears-centric Hallmark movie ! This list serves as the latest endorsement of Loveland, and those of us with a rooting interest in the Chicago Bears can only hope that his play in the upcoming season is reflective of all of these offseason expectations. You can check out the full NFLPA Rising Stars List here
The NFL Players Association released its annual Rising Stars list on Tuesday and the first overall pick of this year’s draft is one of the players at the top. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is No. 1 on the list of the 10 rookies that the NFLPA projects to be future members of the Top 50 list of licensed player product sales. There is also a list of 10 players with NFL experience who have not been on the Top 50 and it is topped by Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Mendoza is followed on the list by Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain. The list of veteran players also includes Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker, Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, Bills running back James Cook, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell was one of the most productive pass-catchers in college football in 2025, recording 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns across 13 games at the University of Connecticut. After being drafted in the fourth round this past April by Buffalo, Bell has a chance to emerge as an immediate contributor in the NFL. The Bills added veteran wideout DJ Moore over the offseason to a wide receiver corps that also features Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, and Keon Coleman. However, Buffalo has been searching for high-impact wide receiver talent for the last several seasons. If Bell proves that he can be a difference-maker with a strong showing this summer, the Bills' incumbent wide receiver options will not hold him back from seeing the field. As the WR106 by current redraft ADP, Bell is a late-round sleeper for fantasy managers to target entering 2026
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bills fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. The Buffalo Bills are less than two weeks away from the start of training camp at St. John Fisher University. It’s a point in the summer that felt like it’d never come, simply due to a massive change in the coaching sphere at One Bills Drive. While new head coach Joe Brady is familiar, it’s anyone’s guess how his system will evolve as the head man. The prior near-decade under Sean McDermott gave Bills Mafia plenty to chew on in the offseason, reflecting on the prior campaign and how it fit a longstanding narrative — and what needed to happen in the coming season. Now, the team has half hit the reset button, and that means we have to wait patiently before seeing what’s new. We’ve spent time in recent weeks discussing Buffalo ’s position groups, asking Rumblers which areas are most intriguing and where the bigger concerns are roster wide. This time we want to know who you believe is primed to take control of the Bills’ starting WR3 role in 2026. Buffalo has a long list of names in the wide receivers room, but several of them don’t fit the poll’s ask. We know that wide receivers DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir are set to play the WR and WR2 roles, respectively. Others in the room are reasonably expected to play reserve and special teams roles much further down the depth chart. We also know that any conversation about wide receiver carries a sidebar about the tight end room. That’s for good reason, as tight end Dalton Kincaid will certainly be a featured part of the passing game. There’s also the possibility Buffalo could bring back Brandin Cooks , and who knows if running back James Cook III is set to take on a more featured role as a receiver. But when pressed on the matter, what about three-receiver sets? If not for a severe ACL injury during the playoffs this past January, it’s possible that this could have included Tyrell Shavers in a four-man battle to win the starting role. Even if Shavers is fast-tracked to return late in the summer, it’s likely he begins the season on the PUP list. That leaves us with three names to consider for the starting WR3 job: Skyler Bell, Keon Coleman , and Joshua Palmer . Bills fans think they know what to expect from Coleman, and many are ready to move on. That’s short-sighted, however, as his career has been anything other than defined at this point. Is year three his time to shine? Then there’s Palmer, who signed a lucrative free-agent contract in 2025. He was too often hurt and uninvolved for many peoples’ preferences, and he was eventually lost for the season. Will 2026 be a different story, with Palmer set to show everyone why the team made him a priority in free agency? The receiver in this equation we know the least about it Skyler Bell. There’s college tape of his to watch, but we don’t truly understand how he fits into Brady’s system. He enters the NFL with a profile not too dissimilar from Shakir, but to this point he hasn’t shown to have Shakir’s elite hands (and he tends to body catch). It’s a trio of guys who have a lot to prove in the coming weeks. So who do you believe wins the Bills’ starting WR3 role in 2026? Vote now!
In eight seasons, Josh Allen has won the MVP award once, finished second once and finished third twice. Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since the Bills drafted him in the first round in 2018. He is headed toward joining former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Like Kelly, though, Allen has yet to deliver a Super Bowl title to Buffalo. In fact, Allen has yet even to win an AFC title. He is 8-7 in the postseason, including 0-2 in the conference championship game. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins was asked about expectations for Allen this season, and Dawkins said the question shouldn’t be about the quarterback. “ I don’t have any [expectations],” Dawkins said on NFL Network. “I don’t add any more extra pressure to that kid that he already has. Josh understands what he’s doing, what he’s not doing. He understands what the mindset is and what we all expect. Just like we know what Josh expects from us, as well, to help him get there. When it comes down to it, Josh is Josh, and he’s gonna be Josh. He’s No. 1 for a reason, so I don’t think that we need any more expectations than we already have.” Dawkins said the supporting cast has to be better to help Allen get the Bills their first Lombardi Trophy. “It seems like we need all the pieces around him to continue to get better to help him get over that hump,” Dawkins said. “Because if Josh is No. 1, he’s at his best, right? If I’m not top 10 or I’m not No. 1, that means that I’m not at my best, which means I have to do better. Dawson [Knox], Dalton [Kincaid], Joe Brady, [James] Cook, everybody -- everybody has to do better. So we’re all going to be that and do that so we can get over that hump, and we can be exactly what we want to be and stop talking about it, right? I’m ready for it. It’s time.” Allen is 83-33 as the starter for the past seven seasons, with five division titles. It hasn’t all clicked for the team in the postseason, though, and Dawkins is hoping it’s different this season
Joe Brady has been in the Bills’ building since 2022, working his way up from quarterbacks coach, to offensive coordinator, and now to head coach in 2026. Running back James Cook has been around for all of Brady’s rise over the past four seasons, with Brady calling the plays that helped Cook become the league’s rushing champion in 2025. So what was the offseason program like with Brady as head coach? “I mean, it’s just a new energy in the building,” Cook said in an interview with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Tuesday. “It’s going to always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in — a young one, too, at that. I mean, Joe’s a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach. I mean, he’s got a new energy. That’s what I feel like.” But just because there’s an energy shift doesn’t mean Brady is acting inauthentically. “I mean, to me, nothing has changed,” Cook said. “Joe’s going to be Joe. And, you know, he’s going to be himself. He just wants you to play football and have fun.” Bills rookies are set to report to training camp on July 21, with Cook and the veterans set to report on July 28
During an appearance Tuesday on Good Morning Football, Cook indicated that he's noticed a renewed spirit under the guidance of new head coach Joe Brady during the team's offseason, Bobby Kownack of NFL.com reports. "It's just a new energy in the building," said Cook, who led the NFL last regular season with 1,621 rushing yards. "It's gonna always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in, a young one, too, at that. Joe [is] a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach. He's got new energy, that's how I feel like." While Cook didn't participate in any of the Bills' voluntary work open to the media earlier this offseason, he did participate in the team's mandatory minicamp and is poised to be full-go for training camp. Looking ahead, the 2022 second-rounder remains entrenched as the lead option in a Buffalo backfield that returns last year's top backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. In that context, Cook -- who logged 309 carries in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- should continue to maintain steady volume and reliable fantasy lineup utility this coming season
The 2025 Buffalo Bills season has been written, but the book is incomplete. Before we cast our full attention toward the 2026 season, let’s take one last glance back over our shoulder for our annual look at the Plays That Defined the prior campaign. For any newcomers, first and foremost; Welcome! When it comes to the “rules” of this exercise, we’re not voting for our favorite highlight necessarily, but the one that best captures the essence of the game. Put differently, if you had to choose just one play to show someone to explain as much of the contest as possible, which would you choose? At 7 – 4 after a loss to the Houston Texans , the Buffalo Bills were on the road again to face the 6 – 5 Steelers. With the season taking shape, this pivotal contest in the Conference could have seen the two teams even up in record with a Bills loss. The first half was either a display of defensive dominance, pitiful offense, or a combination of the two. Both teams had only scored once, with Buffalo’s field goal trailing Pittsburgh’s touchdown at the break. The Bills’ defense got tired of waiting for Josh Allen and company to score and took the matter into their own hands to start the third quarter. That score kickstarted three from the offense while the defense remained airtight. Down 3 to 7 after two quarters, the final score of 26 to 7 wouldn’t have casual fans thinking it was a tight affair for a good chunk of the game. This was not James Cook’s best run. That was a 31-yarder. It wasn’t his worst. In some measures, you could say that Cook didn’t have a great day running. He fumbled twice, with one lost. He had no touchdowns and he only converted one third down. What this run is though, is the first of the day. Cook carried it 32 times at a respectable 4.5 yards per carry. THe Bills ran it 51 times total. You read that right. That led to an insane 41:59 time of possession, though to be fair a dominant defense was just as pivotal for that achievement. You’ve heard of running to set up the pass, right? This was running to set up the run. Let’s face it, out of all the games this season, this is the one that practically demands a defensive highlight to represent it. That said, the sluggish offensive start is also a pretty strong narrative. This could have been a lopsided game even earlier had the Bills taken care of business on offense. The first four drives were this interception, punt, punt, fumble. With the game this tight and neither offense exactly inspiring confidence, the first team to find a spark was liable to end up the victor. On the first play from scrimmage after halftime, Joey Bosa wrecked Aaron Rodgers and Christian Benford scooped up the loose ball for the score. Buffalo took the lead with this play and never looked back. It’s the fourth quarter, but there’s ten minutes to go. Buffalo is up by sixteen points. Pittsburgh isn’t out of it yet. On 4th & 2 they gotta go for it despite being in easy field goal range. The distance is manageable. Greg Rousseau shut it down and put a pin in the Bills win. The Bills ate up nearly the rest of the clock, booted a field goal to go up three scores, and shut the door emphatically on the Steelers
Last year, with Joe Brady as offensive coordinator, the Buffalo Bills once again featured one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. Josh Allen directed a Buffalo offense that ranked fourth in points scored per game (28.3) and fourth in total offense (376.3 yards/game), and boasted James Cook and the league’s best rushing attack (2,714 yards with 30 rushing touchdowns). This offseason, Brady was promoted to head coach for the first time in his coaching career, and he will continue to call the plays on offense for a team that once again has Super Bowl aspirations. Bills fans are wondering what changes could be in store for the offense this year, and today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by examining how Buffalo’s offense could differ from the 2025 version. One of the staples of Sean McDermott’s Bills during the 2025 season was running the ball on first down. No team ran the ball more on first down than Buffalo, which, led by James Cook, posted 38 carries of 10-plus yards on first down last season. Cook would go on to claim the league’s rushing title (rushing 309 times for 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season) and the Bills finished second in the league in first-down rushing success rate. The Bills once again will rely on Cook to power their rushing attack, but their offensive line is undergoing some changes, with left guard David Edwards leaving for the New Orleans Saints via free agency and either Alec Anderson or Austin Corbett taking over at left guard. Brandon Beane also went out and acquired veteran wide receiver DJ Moore and drafted wideout Skyler Bell to give Allen more offensive weapons to go with Khalil Shakir , Dalton Kincaid , Joshua Palmer , Keon Coleman . With Brady in charge, will the Bills continue to run the ball as much on first down, or will Brady let Josh Allen open up the attack and throw the ball more in early-down situations? We discuss what Joe Brady’s offense could look like in his first season as head coach, including whether the Bills might utilize Cook more as a pass catcher; projecting Moore’s ceiling in the offense; discussing what role the fullback could play; and more! How will the Bills’ offense change with Joe Brady as head coach? We took a long look – Buffalo News (subscription required) Bills big-picture questions: Does Buffalo have enough to reach new heights in 2026? – The Athletic (subscription required) Bills’ Offense Could Feature Distinct James Cook Change Under Joe Brady – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills ‘Greatness Expected’ of Bills’ Joe Brady in Pressure-Packed First Year as Buffalo Head Coach – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Reunited with Joe Brady, what’s DJ Moore’s ceiling in the Buffalo Bills’ offense? – Buffalo News (subscription required) What’s the role of a fullback in Joe Brady’s Bills offense? – Buffalo News (subscription required) Questions Remain Whether Renewed Brady-Allen Connection Can Keep Bills From Crashing – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Examining whether linebacker Dorian Williams is ready to take on a larger role in Jim Leonhard ’s defensive scheme. Plus, ESPN explains why Josh Allen’s supporting cast of offensive playmakers ranked among the worst in the NFL; left tackle Dion Dawkins falls outside the top 10 in ESPN’s rankings of the best offensive tackles; and more! Is Dorian Williams ready to take on an expanded role in Bills’ new defense? – Buffalo News (subscription required) Bills offensive playmakers rank near bottom of NFL in ESPN rankings – Democrat & Chronicle Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL offensive tackles for 2026 – ESPN.com Bills’ Dion Dawkins Just Misses ESPN’s Top NFL Offensive Tackle Rankings – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills’ Elite Strength at Critical Position Allows Josh Allen to Thrive – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Bills finish installing giant bison statues at new Highmark Stadium – Democrat & Chronicle Realistic worst and best-case scenarios for the 2026 Bills? – Buffal
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Numbers to Know: Why Maye-Brown connection could be lethal, and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Editor’s note: Patriots insider Phil Perry is sharing 26 numbers to know for 26 days leading up to Day 1 of training camp on July 25. We will share roundups over the next three weeks, starting with numbers one through nine: Rhamondre Stevenson ranked No. 1 among all running backs in Rushing Yards over Expected per Carry last season at plus-1.4. What does that even mean? It’s a new stat used to determine how many yards a back gains on a given play compared to an average back. Stevenson beat out players like James Cook and Derrick Henry . Some are predicting a breakout season for fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson . But remember, Stevenson didn’t fumble the ball after Week 5 last season. With that part of his game cleaned up, he should be a massive portion of this Josh McDaniels offense again in 2026. Drake Maye finished No. 2 in MVP voting last season, his second in the NFL. As of today, Maye has the sixth-best odds to win MVP in 2026 behind Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , Patrick Mahomes , Justin Herbert , and Joe Burrow . Now, why might Maye be a decent bet to win the award this coming season? They added a number one receiver in A.J. Brown , and he’s in his second season of Josh McDaniels’ offense. If Maye does defy the odds and win MVP, he’d become just the second Patriot to win the award. You might have heard of the first guy. He has a statue. Christian Gonzalez ranked No. 3 among qualifying defensive backs in Catch Rate Allowed Over Expected at minus-10.2-percent. So, what the heck does that mean? He’s very, very good at not allowing passes you think would be caught to be caught. Only Caleb Bullock and Tre’Davious White beat Gonzalez in this metric, but Gonzalez faced 13 more targets than both of those players combined. Now, we just have to see how his contract situation plays out. TreVeyon Henderson had four rushes of 40+ yards last season. The only player with more was Jahmyr Gibbs with six. Henderson tied De’Von Achane, James Cook, Derrick Henry, and Jonathan Taylor . But here’s where an increased workload for Henderson could pay off in 2026. Those four backs averaged a long run every 74 attempts. Henderson averaged one every 45. As Henderson continues to develop his instincts as a runner as he gets more comfortable in this Patriots offense, you could see even more explosive plays from him in 2026. The Patriots are scheduled to play five primetime games in 2026. That’s the most on their schedule since Cam Newton was quarterback in 2020. That has to be music to the Krafts’ ears. The Patriots raised their profile with the MVP-caliber play of Drake Maye and their run to the Super Bowl. But Cinderella no more, they’ll have a bright red target on their backs this coming season, and everyone will be watching. Marcus Jones has scored six non-offensive touchdowns in three full seasons – he missed all but two games in 2023. It’s the most by any player since Jones entered the NFL as a rookie in 2022. He can be the type of X-factor – thanks to punt returns and pick-sixes – that can help a team scrap together a couple of extra wins. Against what’s anticipated to be a more difficult schedule in 2026, just a few of those explosive plays can pay major dividends for the Patriots. New safety Kevin Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions last season with Chicago . The Bears led the league with 23 INTs. The Patriots? Tied for 22nd with just 10 interceptions as a team. Can the addition of Byard and all that football IQ help turn the Patriots defense into a turnover machine in 2026? I think it could. And don’t be surprised if that Byard wisdom rubs off on young Patriots safety Craig Woodson . The Patriots are scheduled to face eight teams that made the playoffs last season, one team being Buffalo, whom they’ll play twice. Last year? The Patriots played just four games against playoff teams. “This is sc
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Chase Brown had a slow start to last year, largely due to the Joe Burrow injury that resulted in Jake Browning getting four starts. The running back averaged just 2.46 yards per carry through Week 5, but then turned it around and averaged 5.14 yards per carry after Joe Flacco took over for Browning and then Burrow returned to the field. Still, that slow start has the quick running back’s stock dropping to the point that coaches, scouts, and executives do not consider him to be among the top ten backs in the NFL, according to a survey conducted by ESPN . In his article on the survey, Jeremy Fowler shared the list of top-10 running backs and explained how it came together: Voters gave their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements. Here’s the list: Bijan Robinson , Atlanta Falcons Jahmyr Gibbs , Detroit Lions Saquon Barkley , Philadelphia Eagles Christian McCaffrey , San Francisco 49ers Jonathan Taylor , Indianapolis Colts Derrick Henry , Baltimore Ravens James Cook III , Buffalo Bills De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs Breece Hall , New York Jets It’s easy to see why Brown would be left out of the top seven. And Walker is coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance. But Brown could arguably be better than Hall. Now here’s the interesting part: Brown wasn’t even included among the honorable mentions, who were Josh Jacobs ( Green Bay Packers ), Kyren Williams ( Los Angeles Rams ), and Quinshon Judkins ( Cleveland Browns ). Brown was, however, mentioned among those who also received votes, along with D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams , Ashton Jeanty , TreVeyon Henderson , Travis Etienne Jr. , and Alvin Kamara
ESPN has started releasing their Top 10 position lists for the 2026 NFL season, and started with running backs . In what should be no surprise, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley lands on the list at No. 3 overall, down from No. 1 last offseason. Jeremy Fowler makes it clear in the article that the rankings are not a future projection, or a career-inclusive award, but rather best tried to answer who the best running back in the league is right now . Despite a drop in production in 2025, the coaches, scouts, and team personnel around the league didn’t penalize Barkley for his performance that followed a 2,000-yard season when it came to voting. “I’m not going to penalize him for a terrible all-around offense last year,” a high-ranking personnel official with an NFL team said, according to ESPN . “He’s still a three-down weapon and if I needed a running back for one season I’m still taking him 1.” One NFL coordinator explained that his only criticism of Barkley is that he doesn’t always produce when everything isn’t set up perfectly, with the RB needing lanes to be completely clean — something the coordinator said dates back to Barkley’s time with the Giants. We got to see a taste of that last season with the offensive line struggled and he tried to stretch the field with fancy footwork instead of a bull-like approach. Still, no one is questioning Barkley’s ability to be a game-changer, and hopefully with changes to the offensive scheme and coaching staff, things will be more cohesive for everyone in 2026. Full Top 10 RB list: Bijan Robinson Jahmyr Gibbs Saquon Barkley Christian McCaffrey Jonathan Taylor Derrick Henry James Cook III De’Von Achane Kenneth Walker III Breece Hall Three players received honorable mention — Josh Jacobs , Kyren Williams , Quinshon Judkins — and several other players received votes, including: D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams , Chase Brown , Ashton Jeanty , TreVeyon Henderson , Travis Etienne Jr. , Alvin Kamara
The 2025 Buffalo Bills season has been written, but the book is incomplete. Before we cast our full attention toward the 2026 season, let’s take one last glance back over our shoulder through Buffalo Rumblings’ annual look at the Plays That Defined the prior campaign. For any newcomers, first and foremost; Welcome! When it comes to the “rules” of this exercise, we’re not voting for our favorite highlight necessarily, but the one that best captures the essence of the game. Put differently, if you had to choose just one play to show someone to explain as much of the contest as possible, which would you choose? The Bills had traded punches with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, and they came out victorious. Buffalo traveled with confidence to Miami to take on the 2-7 Dolphins, a team the Bills had already handled earlier in the year. What should have been a cakewalk was a major struggle. Questionable strategy and let’s face it, terrible execution, led to a thrashing at the hands of the inferior Dolphins. No worries, it’s not like the Bills ended up losing the division due to a few regrettable dropped games like this or anything. If you’ve been reading these over the years, you know sometimes I like to go a bit more abstract/poetic and offer a contrasting play as often it can be fun to “illustrate” something ironically. On Miami’s first drive, we got exactly what I think most of us expected for the game. Tua Tagovailoa heaves the ball looking to keep the drive alive, and arm punts it right to Cole Bishop. Honestly, this isn’t a worse outcome than an incomplete pass would have been but it just feels like the game we should have had. We had so much hope for the first couple minutes. Do you remember how great of a season James Cook III was having up to this point (and afterwards, too, really)? The Dolphins weren’t up by more than two scores until the middle of the fourth quarter. In other words, there wasn’t really much reason to abandon the run. The Bills’ regular-season distribution ended up with 495 passing attempts to 547 rushes. That sum makes the 22 runs versus 40 passes in this game bewildering. I can’t think of a better symbol for the Bills deliberately abandoning the rushing game in favor of the passing one than the literal embodiment of it here. The result is fitting here too. It’s not like the defense really did well either. Miami averaged just over 20 points a game last season. Letting them drop 30 is embarrassing. The hope is that cornerback Maxwell Hairston will learn to turn around and play the ball consistently, especially when the ball hangs in the air so long you suspect that it might be filled with helium. Back to the offense, which was indeed very offensive. Look at the timestamp. At this point in the game, the score was 16-0 in favor of the Dolphins . This was the 14th play of the 9:01 drive. It was nearly the start of a thrilling comeback, but y’know… it wasn’t. Wanna get really upset? This was the shorter of the two touchdowns by De’Von Achane. This was 35 yards, whereas his first was 59. Why go with the shorter of the two? First off, let’s face it. With touchdowns like this where the running back breaks through all the layers of the defense, the distance stops mattering as much. Second, this play was the moment that hope vanished. Down by 10 with just a few minutes to go it was bleak. This made “bleak” look awe inspiring. We started with an ironic contrast, so let’s end with one. This catch and touchdown by Keon Coleman are what we hope we’ll see from him on consistent basis. Fingers crossed
The Detroit Lions have established themselves as an All-Pro factory since 2021. While established stars like Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown have earned honors, the team looks to add new names in 2026. Jahmyr Gibbs and Sione Vaki are highlighted as strong candidates, with Gibbs being a potential bell cow and compared to top-tier running backs. Other players like Jared Goff, Alim McNeill, Brian Branch, and Jake Bates are also discussed as possibilities, though some face injury concerns
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released his annual ranking of NFL offensive playmaker groups…but it is important to understand what he is actually ranking before anyone starts throwing things at their screen. This is not a ranking of the best offenses in football. Barnwell is looking strictly at each team’s running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. His question is basically this: If every team had the same quarterback, same offensive line, same play caller, same injury luck (or bad luck), and same setup around them, which group of playmakers would be the best? That matters a lot when talking about the Buffalo Bills . Because Barnwell has the Bills ranked at No. 29 out of 32 teams. Only the Cleveland Browns , New York Giants , and Miami Dolphins finished behind Buffalo. That is a pretty rough spot for a team that still has Super Bowl expectations, but it also says a lot about how much Josh Allen changes the way we view the roster. This ranking removes Allen from the equation. It removes Joe Brady. It removes the offensive line. Once all of that is stripped away, Barnwell clearly does not love what Buffalo has around him. He does give James Cook III credit, and rightfully so. Cook has become one of the best running backs in football. The concern with Cook is the ball security. Barnwell noted that Cook had six fumbles last season, plus another in the playoff loss to the Denver Broncos . That is not a small issue, especially for a back who touches the ball as often as Cook does. After Cook, the questions start piling up. The Bills added DJ Moore this offseason, but Barnwell is not sold that Moore is still a true difference-maker as he gets closer to 30. Khalil Shakir has settled in as a reliable slot receiver. Dalton Kincaid made the Pro Bowl and was more efficient last season, but he still has not fully become a high-volume answer many hoped he would be, and recently health and durability concerns have become more loud. Keon Coleman remains a huge question mark, and even though it might not be fair to say with such a small dataset but Joshua Palmer may have gotten worse after joining the Bills. And Skyler Bell will remain an unknown until we see him in action. Interestingly, Barnwell had the Bills at No. 28 before the 2025 campaign and No. 24 in 2024. That leads to the same question Bills fans have been asking for a while now. When Allen needs someone to get open on the biggest play of the game, who is the obvious answer? That is where this ranking stings. For comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs came in at No. 20, even after a disappointing season from their wide receivers. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy both come with questions, and Travis Kelce is no longer the automatic TE1 option he once was, but the addition of Kenneth Walker III gives Kansas City more explosiveness in the backfield. The Baltimore Ravens landed at number 16 with Derrick Henry , Zay Flowers , and Mark Andrews still leading the way. Barnwell pointed out some concerns there too, especially with Henry’s age, fumbling issues, and Andrews’ decline in production, but Baltimore still sits well ahead of Buffalo. Then there are the Cincinnati Bengals at number 3. That one is not hard to figure out. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins give Cincinnati two receivers who can win as WR1 options. Add Chase Brown to the mix, and the Bengals have the kind of high-end skill talent Barnwell obviously appreciates. The top five were the Detroit Lions , Los Angeles Rams , Bengals, Atlanta Falcons , and San Francisco 49ers . San Francisco might be the most interesting or controversial team near the top. Barnwell has them at No. 5 despite Christian McCaffrey , George Kittle , and Mike Evans all on the wrong side of 30, and there are real injury concerns with that group. Still, the talent is obvious. That is really the difference. The Bills have good players. They have useful players. They have players who fit what Buffalo wants to do. But when you compare their group to teams with
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Every year the National Football League announces their Top 100 players heading into the upcoming season. These rankings are determined solely by player surveys that are done while the process ends around Thanksgiving meaning they are voting about their peers before key stretches of the season. Which Buffalo Bills should we expect to appear in the top 100 this year? The first and obvious choice would be quarterback Josh Allen . Allen has been near the top of the rankings the past couple of seasons, and there’s no reason to believe that will change. He’s coming off a 39 total touchdown season with over four thousand yards of total offense. He’s the leader of the franchise and has proven time and time again he should be ranked among the best players in the league. Our very own Chris Trapasso thinks he’s the best player in the NFL We can expect running back James Cook to be in the mix this year, and probably in the Top 50. Cook was the league leader in rushing yards with over 1,600 and had twelve touchdowns to add to his resume. Cook has established himself to be one of the top young rushers and should be voted as such by his peers. He was ranked 89th last season but look for him to be much higher. Another player we could point to is left tackle Dion Dawkins . Dawkins was 42nd last season and is viewed by his peers as one of the best offensive tackles in the league. He had another solid season for the Bills in 2025 but fans would say his performance took a slight decline, especially when it came to false start penalties. I still remain confident that Dawkins will be in the rankings this year but do not be surprised if he is outside the top 50. Unfortunately those three are probably the best shot for the Bills as they just do not have enough flashy players to be amount the 100 best in the league. We can argue that someone like cornerback Christian Benford should be but, he does not seem to get the respect across the NFL that he deserves
