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00:00That caliber and that pedigree to waive a no-trade clause.
00:03Sal Capaccio on the Western Hotline with us from Highmark Stadium,
00:06where the Bills and Steelers will be playing the finale of the 2026 preseason.
00:13How is going there for you?
00:16Are you settling in?
00:18Before I got this hellebook news at like literally 2.57,
00:22I planned on talking about the stadium again today
00:26because I've been away for a couple of weeks,
00:28and this is the fourth football event now that's going to be held in the stadium.
00:33How are you finding just going there?
00:36Is it still surreal or is it starting to feel a little more normal to you?
00:40A little bit more.
00:41It's been a few times, probably a few more times for us in the media than fans, obviously.
00:47The big thing for me, I was just thinking about this actually,
00:49I've got to find my own routine.
00:50Now for me it might be different than a lot of the other media
00:52because they have their own routine.
00:53It just was in a different stadium.
00:55I'm in a different role now.
00:56I mean, I'm not on the field as the sideline guy on the radio.
01:00I'm up in the press box.
01:01And I have to find my routine to do that.
01:04So as we feel out a new stadium, we're also feeling out for me getting settled in,
01:09when I want to get here, what I need to do, what are my pregame duties now compared to before.
01:14When do they open up the coffee stand?
01:17When do they open up the food up here in the press box?
01:21This literally just happened to me an hour ago.
01:23I got here.
01:24I get in the elevator.
01:26And there were a few people in the elevator that were going up to the press box.
01:29There were a few people in the elevator going down to the field level
01:31where the media workroom is and the press room and all that.
01:35And they're like, where are you going?
01:36I said, I don't really know.
01:38I said, wherever you guys go first, I'll go.
01:40I said, wherever you go first, I'll figure it out.
01:43And that literally happened.
01:44That came out of my mouth.
01:45So the elevator went down to the field level.
01:48I got out.
01:49I went into the media workroom.
01:50I went to where I've been working.
01:54And then I see John Scott.
01:56True story.
01:56I see John Scott.
01:58And he's sitting in the media workroom.
01:59And above it is a handwritten label, WGRZ.
02:03WGRZ.
02:04I said, wait a minute.
02:04You guys claiming spots down here now?
02:06He goes, yeah, you probably need to do that.
02:08That's what happens down here.
02:09I'm like, you know what?
02:09You're right.
02:10I look around.
02:10I see Buffalo News.
02:11I see WROC.
02:12I'm like, OK.
02:13So I literally got a piece of paper and I wrote WGR.
02:16And I put it there like, this will be my workstation after the end of the game.
02:18Right?
02:19Like, these are things that I have to figure out and do, Bulldog, that I never had to do
02:22before in my life.
02:23Right?
02:24So I got that.
02:25Then I went down by the, I walked around by the tunnel area.
02:28Kind of got a feel.
02:28I looked out, you know, the stadium.
02:30I wanted to get a little feel if I could for the wind because it was windy outside.
02:32But I couldn't really do that without getting on the field.
02:35Anyway, then I go back to the elevator and I come up to the press level.
02:39Walk down to my press box seat.
02:41I see Josh Reed.
02:42I see Joe Biscaglia.
02:43Tim Graham just walked by me.
02:44I put my computer down.
02:45I'm like, all right, what do I do now?
02:47Like, what do I have to do?
02:49That's the thing for me.
02:50Like, what is the routine?
02:52Right.
02:52But as far as the going to the stadium, yes, the parking, it's been easy, but it's preseason.
02:57You'll get here a certain time.
02:58It's kind of the same route I've always taken.
03:00It's real easy where they've made it for us and the media to park.
03:03That's great.
03:04I think I'm settling in like that, but it's going to take a few more times to get really used
03:08to it.
03:08Do you get the sense here?
03:10I've been away for a couple of weeks.
03:12Do you get the sense that the, I don't know, is furor too strong around the stadium?
03:17Like there was, there was a, you know, there was a lot of, you know, dissatisfaction expressed.
03:23It was, you know, maybe not, certainly not the majority of people, but it was, it was loud.
03:27Do you feel like that's sort of all kind of calmed down now?
03:30And like, we're just sort of settling in.
03:33I do.
03:33I do.
03:34I, I, in fact, I'll say it even this much.
03:36I think that when that happened, you know, there was this, there was a certain segment
03:41of people that really were loud voices that it got a lot of play.
03:44It got, it went viral in a lot of ways.
03:46Right.
03:47I think a lot of people were mad at that and came here the next week and wanted to tell
03:50you all the good things.
03:51Right.
03:51And I saw a lot of people kind of squashing that.
03:54I was like, you know what?
03:55Okay.
03:55Maybe this person had an issue.
03:56Let me tell you why it was great for me.
03:58And I saw a lot of that.
03:59And that was interesting.
04:00And I think we're seeing a lot more of the positivity than the negativity that happened
04:05that first game.
04:06The thing though, that hasn't quite happened yet is maybe the rest of the national media
04:11catching up to that because like, I'll still go on podcasts and radio spots around the country.
04:19And they'll inevitably ask me even this week, Hey, we're hearing a lot of things about
04:24the stadium and all these obstructed views.
04:26Like these things are still popping up.
04:28So I think that part of it still hasn't gone away.
04:31So we'll see.
04:31That will be, that'll hopefully take care of itself as the season goes on and national
04:35media comes here more for big games and Thursday night football and all that.
04:39But I do think that there's less of that and even more so of, let me tell you why this
04:44is really cool spot.
04:46Before we get to like whatever roster battles there are, I've got in my head here, our conversation
04:52from yesterday spinning off of your and Matt Bovee's conversation with Brandon Bean about,
04:58you know, number of roster spots they feel pretty solid about.
05:01He's like in the fifties or something, right?
05:03Or close to 50 or whatever that was.
05:0550-ish.
05:0550-ish.
05:06Right, right.
05:07It's like, I do want to run through like who's got a lot at stake tonight and that kind
05:12of thing.
05:13But is there anything else from Bean?
05:15Because I didn't have a chance to listen and watch the entire appearance.
05:18Um, what else?
05:20Because we talked about the trade deadline stuff and we talked about this, this roster
05:23thing.
05:24Um, like what else really stood out from that hour long or so conversation you had with
05:28the Bills GM and president?
05:31You know, the new structure, we talked about that, the new structure and the Bills have
05:35intentionally, he said, you know, it's, it's a structure that Terry has had in other of
05:39his endeavors.
05:40He didn't specifically say Sabres necessarily, but you know, we can infer maybe that's the
05:43case, I don't know, but where it's the president, I'm sorry, the owner, and then below him is
05:50the president of football ops, which is Brandon Bean now, who's also the GM.
05:53And then the head coach reports to him where before, as he explained it, and we all know,
05:58but Brandon Bean said this, where they're both on equal footing, the head coach and the
06:02GM, and they report separately to the owner.
06:05And we talked about that structure.
06:06And I asked him, is it different around the league?
06:12Like, no matter where you're going, he said, absolutely.
06:14Like, everybody's got their own way of doing it.
06:16But now that they have this structure in place, this is different than what they've had before.
06:20And I do think that's notable because for the last nine years, you've basically had a
06:27GM and a head coach that would have to come to a consensus on how to do things, player
06:32personnel, and maybe you could have them butt heads.
06:35And I'm not saying that can't happen this way, but now it's clear.
06:39I mean, I have no doubt that Brandon Bean will still ask Joe Brady, like, what do you
06:43need?
06:44What can I get you?
06:45But Brandon Bean's calling the shots now.
06:46Right.
06:47You know?
06:49Yeah, that is different.
06:52And, you know, I guess we'll watch the season unfold to decide whether or not it works better.
06:57Right?
06:58I mean, who knows?
07:00Maybe they end up getting the same results.
07:02Sal Capaccio on the Western Hotline here on WGR live from Highmark Stadium, Bills and
07:08Steelers tonight.
07:09I thought at 7 o'clock, I thought maybe during this first visit we could look at maybe some
07:15offensive battles and roster machinations.
07:18And then maybe when you join me in a couple of hours, we can focus a little bit more on
07:23the defensive side of the ball.
07:24So, as far as tonight goes, is maybe Skyler Bell the guy that has the most to show if
07:32he indeed does play?
07:33Is he expected to play, I think, right?
07:36He is.
07:38I'm interested in seeing him play.
07:40And Joe Brady himself is interested in seeing him play.
07:43He said that.
07:43He said, you know, he's excited to see him.
07:44He wants to see him out there.
07:46It's interesting how you phrase that.
07:47Does he have the most to show?
07:50So, I don't think anything happens with Skyler Bell tonight impacts his roster status, right?
07:54Like, he's going to be on the roster.
07:55He's going to play.
07:56There's no...
07:57I don't even think there's any danger of him not getting a jersey on game day.
07:59Like, I think that would happen unless you're only dressing four receivers or you just don't
08:04think he's ready so you elevate someone from the practice squad.
08:06So, I think from a show standpoint, it's just to kind of ease people's concerns more than
08:12anything.
08:12He does not have to, to me, battle his way to do anything.
08:16He just needs to kind of show people, hey, you drafted me in the fourth round.
08:20I can come in here and do the job.
08:21And that's what people are excited to see about Skyler Bell and stay healthy.
08:24So, I think that's number one for him.
08:27I don't think there are many real roster spots available on the offense.
08:32I think if you went through and we talk about the 50-ish that Brandon Bean said, let's just
08:36cut it in half.
08:3725, 26 on offense.
08:38I think they're spoken for.
08:40The only position on offense that I do not think is completely spoken for is depth offensive
08:44line.
08:45And that is what happens with Jude Bowery and Cedric Van Praan-Granger who are both
08:50injured.
08:51And if either one or both are injured enough where they feel we can save a roster spot,
08:57put them on IR, give them four weeks because then they can come back.
09:00That opens the door for other people to be on the roster.
09:03But if you want them on the roster to start the season and say Jude Bowery is going to be
09:08the backup swing tackle or Cedric Van Praan-Granger is the backup center.
09:11Now you've got to shave.
09:13You've got to cut.
09:13The Bills traditionally have kept nine offensive linemen.
09:17You need at least eight on game day to trigger the extra man active.
09:20So we know it's going to be at least eight.
09:21They traditionally keep nine.
09:23They have also kept 10 in the past, by the way, through the season at different points.
09:26But I'm going to go to the assumption they only keep nine, but it's certainly possible
09:30they keep 10.
09:31Again, I don't think there's a battle for backup running back unless Ty Johnson is hurt in some
09:35capacity.
09:35Ian Wheeler is much of a darling as he's been, and I love watching the kid run.
09:39Certainly, he's a practice squad player.
09:41I can't see him taking anybody's job.
09:43And I think Kyle Allen has solidified the backup quarterback.
09:47Real quick, though, on wide receiver.
09:49I do think there's an opportunity for Trent Shurfield to make the roster.
09:52Yeah, right, right.
09:53He would be more so for special teams, right?
09:55But so I don't really count him as a wide receiver, like a replacement for Skylar Bell
09:59necessarily.
10:00But certainly you could get to that point if you really want to keep him for special teams
10:03and Skylar Bell hasn't progressed to that point.
10:06At least you do have that fifth guy you could, you know, dress on game day instead of Skylar
10:09Bell.
10:10Right.
10:10Yeah, Shurfield makes a lot of sense because I think you know how much the team admires
10:17Shavers, and he's trying to work his way back.
10:20And Shurfield maybe pretty much covers that Shaver spot until if and when Shavers is ready
10:26to come back.
10:27And then, you know, you can do whatever you need to do with Shurfield.
10:31I think we thought that, I think you thought that right from the start when they brought
10:34Shurfield back, did you not?
10:36I did.
10:37And I think he's just kind of confirmed that through all of this and even him telling us
10:41the other day, which was really interesting.
10:43He said he sees himself more as a special teams guy in this league now that he does a
10:46wide receiver.
10:46And then he played for Jeff Rogers, the Bill special teams coordinator in Arizona last
10:50year.
10:50And he made a note of that.
10:51He said, point of it, he said, I know the, I know the schemes here.
10:55And I think that's valuable to the bills.
10:56Now, the question is, is it valuable enough to keep them on the roster for it?
11:00You mentioned the offensive line and the, the, the situation there with some injuries and
11:07whether there'll be IR for guys.
11:09I'm wondering about swing tackle.
11:11Like how comfortable, like is, is, is, is backup offensive tackle a spot that they could
11:18be paying attention to as cuts happen around the league?
11:22Like, do you think there, is there that level of concern internally?
11:25You think maybe, I don't have a concern, but certainly improvement if you can, right?
11:30Like I, I think they would probably at this point, keep Tylan Grable in that spot.
11:36I just don't think Jude Bowery has given them enough confidence to keep him and now he's
11:41injured.
11:41So to me, that's gotta be Tylan Grable.
11:43Now I will tell you that both chase Lunt and Nick broker have played tackle through OTAs
11:50mini camp and preseason.
11:51I don't know if you really want to go down that road, they might be more guards, but they
11:55can do that.
11:55I think Tylan Grable right now is your mark to be that guy.
11:58The question isn't necessarily concern.
12:00The question is, can you improve upon that?
12:02And what does that look like?
12:04So, yeah, I would say that they are probably looking around the league and the way Brandon
12:10being explained it on the podcast yesterday was they are, they have his staff, his staff
12:14right now looks at all the teams, all the other 31 teams, and they have a good gauge
12:19of who's going to get cut and who isn't.
12:20So, they could decide, okay, we think this one team's going to cut a couple of these
12:25guys, so let's plan for that and then we can claim them.
12:30Or he gives a call to the GM or whoever and says, hey, it looks to me like you're a
12:35little
12:35fat there.
12:36Can we work out a deal here?
12:37Yeah.
12:37I wonder if the Bills are doing any of that themselves with maybe, say, Austin Corbett,
12:42who was in a battle for the left guard spot.
12:44It looks like Alec Anderson is going to be the starter there.
12:48And I don't know, maybe his being new to a starting role would make them reluctant to
12:53divest themselves of an experienced backup.
12:56But I don't know, I sort of wonder about Corbett maybe being on the block here.
13:01I do too.
13:02I do too.
13:02I've felt that if Austin Corbett doesn't win the job, it might be that he's either the
13:06starter or not on the roster, right?
13:08So like one or the other.
13:09Right.
13:09Because they may feel that Lunt and Broker, for example, and I'll tell you, the guy that
13:13factors into this, Armage Reed Adams.
13:17He is a seventh round pick of the Bills this year who has played pretty well, I think,
13:22when he's been in there.
13:22And he's a guard.
13:23And I think they like him enough that he's a sneaky play to say, you know, but he's right
13:27guard.
13:28He's not left guard.
13:28You know, but you can kind of play with those things.
13:31But he's a sneaky play maybe at the end of the day here.
13:33I wonder what they do with him.
13:34But I agree with you, especially with Lunt, a year in the system.
13:38Nick Broker's been here before, too.
13:40So I wonder how all that shakes out.
13:42The two guys who I think could go on IR, possibly SVPG and Jude Bowery, they are not guards.
13:48So that position right there looks very interesting.
13:52Yeah.
13:52Does Cushenberry have any positional flexibility?
13:55I know he's been filling in for McGovern.
13:57Not that we're expecting to see that tonight because they signed a player yesterday, I think,
14:02to get through tonight, mostly.
14:04But does Cushenberry offer any flexibility or is he solely a center?
14:09No, he's just a center from what I've seen and what I know about him and how they treat
14:12him.
14:12They were actually targeting him possibly to replace Connor McGovern if McGovern had signed
14:17elsewhere in free agency.
14:18Then they bring him in here.
14:19And as of right now, I think he's the backup center because of Van Prair and Granger's
14:23injury.
14:24So I think that's what you're probably looking at with Lloyd Cushenberry.
14:28And, you know, they're going to need somebody like that on the roster to be able to fill in.
14:31I mean, in a pinch, you do have Alec Anderson who can play center.
14:34But if you're making him your starting guard, that's his role he plays through the week.
14:38So he's not getting reps at center.
14:40You know what I mean?
14:40Right.
14:40Now, tonight, by the way, you brought up Sincere Hainsworth, this guy that they signed,
14:45get you through tonight.
14:46Bruno Fina, actually, John's son.
14:48He has actually taken some snaps at center over the last couple of weeks.
14:52I wonder if he gets some time tonight.
14:53Yeah, maybe.
14:53You mentioned running back.
14:54We have a couple of more minutes here with Sal Capaccio, at least in this run through.
14:59You mentioned running back and Wheeler has been this year's guy, right?
15:04Do you think he's done enough?
15:06You said he looks like a practice squad running back to you.
15:08And I wouldn't argue.
15:10Do you think he's done enough to take Frank Gore's spot?
15:13Or do you think they could keep two guys, try to keep both guys on the practice squad?
15:17I think he has done enough to seriously consider it.
15:20I also think they could keep both of them.
15:21You do get 17 spots, right?
15:23It's not like you only have five or six anymore.
15:25I definitely, they have done that before.
15:26And especially with Ty Johnson dealing with an injury, I wouldn't be surprised they keep
15:29two running backs on the practice squad.
15:33I think tonight's a big night for that, to be honest with you.
15:35That's one of the ones I'll be watching tonight.
15:36Let's see what happens between Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr.
15:38For as good as Ian Wheeler has played, Frank Gore Jr.'s look pretty good, too, by the way.
15:43And he always seems to look pretty good in preseason.
15:45But he had, like, what, six yards a carry or something last game, if I remember right.
15:48You know, he's looked pretty good.
15:50So, yeah, I do think he's, at least in the conversation, to be your fourth guy.
15:54But I also don't think it's out of the realm at all to keep both of them on the practice
15:58squad.
15:59And we're waiting on Ty Johnson of all of this, right?
16:02Like, yeah, and I totally agree with you.
16:05You know, we talked about this earlier in the week, too, that, like, you know, Wheeler has flashed,
16:10but he is not a Ty Johnson replacement.
16:12Ty Johnson has asked to do a lot of things for this offense.
16:16Now, if he, you know, we get to beyond cut down and when they've got to start issuing injury reports
16:20and we find out that he's, you know, hurt more seriously than we originally thought or feared,
16:26then maybe that changes things.
16:28But I'd be surprised, too, if they did anything different than those top three at running back, Cook, Johnson, and
16:34Davis.
16:35You mentioned quarterback and, boy, has Allen, Kyle Allen, obviously not Josh, is he 86% in the preseason?
16:45There's like Nathan Peterman bells going off in my head when he completed 80% of his passes in preseason
16:50and won the job in Josh's fourth year and it lasted a half.
16:53But different situation, obviously.
16:56I think there was concern about Kyle Allen.
16:58He's looked very comfortable in this offense, I think.
17:02He has. There was concern.
17:03And he didn't look very good at training camp.
17:04He had some rough days, but he's gone out there in the two games and he's impressed.
17:09And he is 24 of 28.
17:10Yeah, it's like 86, 87%.
17:11And the thing that I think also you have to remember here is he's got a backup offensive line generally
17:17when he's doing that.
17:18He's got backup receivers he's been throwing to, right?
17:20And I know he's going against backup defenses, but it's not like he has.
17:23Not like you're insulating him.
17:25You know what I mean?
17:25Yeah.
17:25Like he's had to go out there and make these plays and he has.
17:27And look, Shane Buchel's looked pretty good and he's a guy that, as we've talked about, they like.
17:31I just think that it's kind of too much of an uphill battle now for Buchel to actually beat out
17:36Kyle Allen.
17:37But, you know, tonight they're both going to get their opportunity and we'll see where the numbers lie with them.
17:41But I think Kyle Allen has kind of separated himself there.
17:43Do you think Buchel gets through to the practice squad?
17:45It's a hard thing to gauge at this point.
17:48Yeah, yeah, he will.
17:48I mean, last year he was really good in that Tampa game.
17:50Remember that?
17:51And he still got through to the practice squad.
17:53So, you know, that's the other thing about, that's a good point you bring up.
17:56That's the other thing about a guy like a quarterback, a third string quarterback, or even a guy like Ian
18:00Wheeler.
18:00Let's remember, if, and by the way, Buchel doesn't have to go through waivers.
18:06He's been in the league long enough.
18:07Sorry, they're having to do a test here.
18:09Shane Buchel, if he gets cut, he's a free agent.
18:11He can go anywhere he wants.
18:11He doesn't have to go through waivers.
18:13Ian Wheeler would have to go through waivers.
18:15And let's remember, let's just say a team wants to claim a guy like an Ian Wheeler and put him
18:20on their 53.
18:21I mean, you're talking about how many months that he wasn't in that system for that team, right?
18:26Like, teams have to consider that.
18:28Even the Bills, you go out and want to get a guy.
18:29Like, you better know, you've got to put him on your 53, and he's got to learn your system right
18:33away.
18:33So, I think Shane Buchel, that would be his choice.
18:36And I tweeted out today the response he gave me about why he keeps coming back to Buffalo.
18:40I'd be stunned if Shane Buchel decided to go somewhere else.
18:42I mean, he could for a paycheck, for sure.
18:44But I don't think that would be the case.
18:46I saw that.
18:48Happy walking in the building, happy walking out of the building.
18:50Why would you want to go anywhere else, basically?
18:52I'm paraphrasing.
18:53Yeah, right.
18:54Yeah, pretty much.
18:54That sounds pretty good.
18:55He really likes it here.
18:56And he hasn't had a shot to be, you know, on the active roster at all.
18:59And he got that last year for one game in Kansas City, and he still came back to Buffalo.
19:03All right, Sal, you've got 90 minutes between appearances.
19:06Go figure out your routine for this.
19:09That will include some eating, because they just opened up the food here in the press box.
19:13Giddy up.
19:13All right, we want pictures, Ross Tucker style, on Twitter.
19:16You got it.
19:16All right, Sal, thanks a lot.
19:17There's Sal Capaccio, live at Highmark Stadium.
19:20His appearances are always brought to you by New York's only outlet, Liquor.
19:23When you need to stack up, it's the place to buy a case.
19:27What's your outlet?
19:28We'll get Sal back in, as I said, in about 90 minutes at the top of the 6 o'clock
19:33hour.
19:34And we'll pour over some of the defensive roster machinations at that time.
19:40Paul Hamilton will join us in between at the top of the 5 o'clock hour.
19:43He's been covering the Bills all summer, but we've also...