1. New York State delivers this encouraging news for professional sports teams
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that Buffalo could begin it's reopening in phases. This weekend, the state received more good news. In a press conference on Sunday, Gov. Cuomo announced professional sports leagues in New York can begin training camps if they follow guidelines in place.
"I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena -- do it! Do it!'' Cuomo said. "Work out the economics, if you can. We want you up. We want people to be able to watch sports. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It's a return to normalcy. So we are working and encouraging all sports teams to start their training camps as soon as possible. And we'll work with them to make sure that can happen.''
Professional leagues like the MLB, NHL and NBA are forming plans to start their leagues again. The NFL is currently going through a virtual offseason. Per NFL rules, players and coaches will not be allowed in their facility until each facility is open. There is no date yet on when that will begin to happen.
2. Josh Allen on team: They care more about winning than anything else
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and Giants quarterback Daniel Jones joined Tony Romo for a 30-minute interview special on Sunday called In the Huddle with Tony Romo. Romo interviewed the three about their progress as QBs, the virtual offseason and life off-the-field. To take a step forward this season, Allen said the team needs to enter this season not satisfied with how last season ended.
"We're going to continue to have to find a way to stay hungry and not be okay with being a 10 and 6 team last year, not being okay with going home at the wild card game because I know I'm not," Allen said. "I'll tell you the guys that we have in your locker room, they care more about winning than anything else."
Allen experienced this from his teammates in a Week 2 win over the Giants.
"We're playing the Giants last year and I overthrow John Brown for a touchdown," Allen said. It's a walk-in and I overthrow him. I'm over there being super harsh on myself thinking, 'John my bad. I shouldn't have done that. I should have given you a chance.' He says, 'Josh go and look at the scoreboard for me. It's 28 to 14, I don't care about any of that. As long as we're winning football games.' Those are the type of guys we have in our locker room. The type of guys that Coach McDermott have brought and put into our locker room. I'm super fortunate for that. We're going to continue to build on that, be hungry and focused on winning football games."
With the attitude Allen has entering year three and the type of team he has by his side, Romo believes he will build on his past two seasons to have more success.
"I think all three of these guys are going to be really good quarterbacks in the National Football League," Romo explained. "They're the kind of guys you want to succeed. Like I said, they care and want to do it the right way. Ultimately we want guys to compete with everything inside of them and these three guys do."
3. ESPN ranks Bills offseason as sixth best
ESPN writer Bill Barnwell ranked the offseason of all 32 NFL teams, with criteria being how rosters compare, cap situation, future draft capital at the beginning of the offseason to mid-May, how each team attacked needs and more. Barnwell thinks the Bills are deserving of the No. 6 spot.
6. Buffalo Bills
What went right: The Bills loaded up on defensive linemen and might have the NFL's deepest line. While Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips left in free agency, Buffalo signed former Panthers Mario Addison and Vernon Butler, added Quinton Jefferson and then used their top selection on A.J. Epenesa. Another former Panthers player joined the organization when Buffalo signed cornerback Josh Norman to a one-year, $6 million deal. Given how frequently defenders have improved after joining the Bills, the Norman deal could turn out to be a valuable flier for Sean McDermott & Co.
The headline move, of course, was trading four selections to the Vikings for star wideout Stefon Diggs. I saw it as a win for both sides, and I like the Bills taking a risk to add a guy who is one of the most talented receivers in football when healthy. In addition to making this team better in 2020, Diggs should make it easier for the organization to make up its mind about third-year quarterback Josh Allen by the end of the season. McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane also supplemented Allen's offensive line by bringing back Quinton Spain and signing Daryl Williams, another former Panthers player, to a one-year deal.
Barnwell thinks the most important thing left on the to-do list is to extend their young stars on the roster.
What's left to do: Extend their young core. The Bills have to start handing out extensions to the young cornerstones on their roster. Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins and linebacker Matt Milano are entering the final year of their respective rookie deals, and cornerback Tre'Davious White has a fifth-year option remaining in 2021. All three can expect significant raises, with White likely looking to get something close to whatever Jalen Ramsey signs in Los Angeles.
