Josh Allen drew the kind of praise that usually gets reserved for the league’s most difficult problem to solve.
In a poll of NFL coaches and executives conducted by Jeremy Fowler, the Bills quarterback came out as the top-ranked quarterback. One GM put it bluntly: “He’s the most singularly unstoppable player at the position when you get his A-game,” said one GM.
“And he has cut down on the turnovers the past two seasons. You live with him and die with him.
You can’t get mad at him because he won a lot of games for you with a similar style, and he was so good.”
In New York, the Jets are heading into camp with a long list of battles still to sort out, and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic broke down eight of the most important ones. At quarterback, Bailey Zappe, Cade Klubnik, and Brady Cook are in the mix for the No. 2 job, though Rosenblatt said one of them will have to stand out in a big way to be viewed as a real backup option. He also said he would be surprised if the Jets don’t bring in another arm at some point, with Zappe his early pick to win the job.
The backfield has its own competition. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis are both set to get opportunities behind the starter, and Rosenblatt has Davis as the early favorite for the No. 2 running back role.
Linebacker is another spot worth watching. Kiko Mauigoa, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, and Mykal Walker are battling for the No. 3 job, but Rosenblatt also pointed out that the group could use help.
He listed Bobby Okereke, Matt Milano, Kenneth Murray, Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts, and Jamal Adams as notable free-agent options. Mauigoa is his early favorite there.
At cornerback, Nahshon Wright, Azareye’h Thomas, and D’Angelo Ponds are competing for the No. 2 role. Rosenblatt gave Wright the early edge after he posted a career-high five interceptions last season. The nickel spot is also unsettled, with Jarvis Brownlee and Ponds fighting for that job and Ponds the early favorite.
Safety is up for grabs too. Andre Cisco, Dane Belton, and Malachi Moore are in the mix for the No. 2 role, and while Rosenblatt has Cisco as the initial starter, he said Belton and Moore could still pass him.
Special teams is not immune from the competition either. Jason Sanders and Cade York are battling at kicker, and Rosenblatt said Sanders would win if he is fully recovered from his back injury. At long snapper, Thomas Hennessy and Garrison Grimes are competing, with Hennessy projected to come out on top.
In New England, the focus is on Gabe Jacas, and the concern is whether the Patriots second-round pass rusher can get himself on the field at all this year. Albert Breer addressed the situation on NBC Sports Boston, noting that Jacas has not signed his contract and has missed all team activities so far.
“Rookies do generally show up when they’re not signed in the spring. That’s normal,” Breer said on NBC Sports Boston.
“And he didn’t do that. When you aren’t signed and it’s the start of training camp, you don’t show up.
This moves to another stage, and I think you’re inching closer now to the idea that maybe this winds up being a redshirt year for him. And we’ll see what happens with his injury situation and everything else.
This is a position of need. I’d say of the guys in that draft class, this was probably the guy that we were looking at as potentially having the highest instant impact, and for him not to just miss the on-field time, but the classroom time in the spring, and now this is still unsettled going into training camp would indicate that it’s only going to get harder and harder for him to contribute as a rookie.”
In Other News...
Dion Dawkins Just Gave Bills Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Dion Dawkins found a way to make a scholarship night feel even bigger for Buffalos next generation. The Bills left tackle surprised 10 Buffalo high school graduates by matching their $1,000 scholarships from the Black Achievers, instantly doubling the support for students headed to college and working toward a range of degrees.
The gesture did not stop there, either. An additional donor later pushed each award to $2,500, turning a thoughtful community moment into a much larger boost for the students and another reminder of how much Dawkins values showing up for kids in Buffalo and the city around him. [Read more 🡒]
Former Patriots First Round Receiver Suddenly Linked To AFC East Twist
The AFC East has a familiar veteran receiver back in the conversation, and this time the fit is being tied to Miamis need for another dependable pass catcher. Brandin Cooks, who has long been viewed as the kind of low-risk addition a contender can plug into a rotation, was pointed out by Daniel Popper of The Athletic as a possible answer for a Dolphins offense that could use more stability on the outside.
For Buffalo, the name still carries some resonance after Cooks spent time with the Bills last season, but the bigger wrinkle is what comes next if he lands in Miami and starts producing. The idea is not just that he could help right away, but that a strong stretch might also make him movable again before the deadline, keeping the AFC East carousel spinning a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen And The Bills Just Reached A Crossroads With Joshua Palmer
Joshua Palmer arrived in Buffalo last offseason with a chance to carve out a real role alongside Josh Allen, but the fit never fully took hold. Injuries interrupted his year, and the production never matched the expectations that came with the signing, leaving the Bills with a receiver who flashed at times but never became a steady part of the offense.
Now the picture is even more crowded. Buffalo has added more talent and already has a deep group of pass-catchers, which puts Palmer in a clear fight for snaps and targets entering 2026. He is trying to use training camp to build the chemistry with Allen that never quite developed last season, but the next step in his Bills tenure may depend on whether he can turn that opportunity into something more than a rotational role. [Read more 🡒]