It's another edition of The Podbag on today's Talking Buffalo as Patrick Moran is answering questions, comments and takes from listeners on a variety of subjects, including an explanation on why Buffalo Bills wide receiver may be the biggest mystery when it comes to this 2025 roster.

Samuel was a big(ish) ticket free agent signee last year that didn't work out. He caught just 31 passes for 253 yards during the regular season, though two of his six catches in the playoffs did go for touchdowns. Brandon Beane signed Elijah Moore recently and he's looked impressive in workouts since joining the team. In Patrick's eyes that's setting up to be arguably the biggest battle of training camp, as there's only room for one of them to be in the receiving group's top four if everyone stays healthy. Samuel has the ability to make an impact on the team this year that he didn't in 2024 but at the same token, could also become someone Beane looks to trade or at the very least, nothing more than insurance as long as the unit stays healthy.

Also, Patrick's asked what veterans may have the hardest time earning and/or keeping their jobs at training camp and Patrick puts that spotlight on a handful of defensive backs after Buffalo used three draft picks on the secondary.

There's also a few comments regarding the Sabres and with this now officially being offseason, the annual time of hope. That plus Patrick defends Florida sports fans---sort of, is asked for a specific type of restaurant recommendation, explains a few things from his home studio and much more.

The Talking Buffalo online merch store is now live! You can purchase t shirts, hoodies, zip ups, crewnecks and polos in a couple of different styles and colors. Visit our online page for pricing and options and while there, check out Buf on Weck for tons of cool gear!

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’sat 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo.

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by sports broadcaster and podcaster Steve Bermel for a discussion on a few topics, including Sam Reinhart's dominating Stanley Cup clinching performance for Florida that reignited some anger in a Buffalo Sabres fan base that already had plenty of it to spare.

It doesn't take much to rile up or at least significantly annoy Sabres fans these days, understandably so for obvious reasons. In what became the final act of the 2024-25 NHL season it was the former Sabre Reinhart who took over on the sport's biggest stage, scoring four goals as Florida beat Edmonton to hoist the Cup for a second straight year. Of course, Reinhart being the shining star naturally opens up old wounds for fans of the Sabres and leads to a discussion on how unbelievable it is that so many former Buffalo players went on to taste their huge success after leaving the organization.

Meanwhile, Patrick isn't mad about Sam as much as he feels bad for Connor McDavid, the sport's biggest star who keeps coming up short in his quest to win a championship.

Also, going by the ratings it seems like most people in Florida don't care about the Panthers winning the Cup and that makes it suck even more for Sabres fans who still have passion for hockey. That plus Bills camp now has a start date and schedule.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveBurmel.

The Talking Buffalo online merch store is now live! You can purchase t shirts, hoodies, zip ups, crewnecks and polos in a couple of different styles and colors. Visit our online page for pricing and options and while there, check out Buf on Weck for tons of cool gear!

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo.

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Matt Warren from SB Nation to discuss Buffalo Bills and NFL topics, including taking a look at nine of the biggest Bills post minicamp developments.

The Bills held mandatory minicamp last week and it was their last group workouts before training camp begins at St. John's Fisher in Rochester in late July. There's several things stemming from minicamp worth talking about, including the at least somewhat surprising not only reporting but full participation of running back James Cook. With him clearly hunting down a huge contract and the Bills seemingly unlikely to give it to him there was widespread belief that Cook would either not report at all or report and not participate. That theory was escalated recently when NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Cook may not be in Buffalo for quite a while. However, that didn't turn out to be the case, Cook also met with the media and the guys have plenty of thoughts on this development.

Also, new wide receiver Elijah Moore feels like the real deal early on per reports from several media members. He's set up for an opportunity to have a solid role in this offense and that's discussed, as is Dalton Kincaid reportedly finishing minicamp on a high note, Keon Coleman being very blunt about his rookie season and Joe Andreessen perhaps turning into more than just a Cinderella story in year two.

They also spend a little time talking about the AFC, including discussing if Pittsburgh or Cincinnati is more likely to make the playoffs this season and if Denver or Los Angeles have the better chance to finally knock off Kansas City in the AFC west. That plus promising news with Joey Bosa and plenty more.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattRichWarren and be sure to check out Buffalo Rumblingsfor your (really good) daily Bills content.

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The Talking Buffalo online merch store is now live! You can purchase t shirts, hoodies, zip ups, crewnecks and polos in a couple of different styles and colors. Visit our online page for pricing and options and while there, check out Buf on Weck for tons of cool gear!

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo.

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Chad DeDominicis from Expected Buffalo to discuss their Buffalo Sabres mock offseason that just dropped in addition to what the situation is with reportedly disgruntled forward JJ Peterka and other Sabres topics.

There's been reports that Peterka, a restricted free agent is unhappy with the direction of the Sabres and is hoping to play somewhere else sooner than later. Where are these leaks coming from? How much leverage does Peterka, who scored 27 goals last year and has 55 over the past two seasons actually have? Will another team sign him to an offer sheet? Will the Sabres match any offer that's presented? What would it take for Peterka to commit to Buffalo long term? Chad has thoughts on all these based on what he's heard and what his gut tells him.

From there they go over the Sabres mock offseason Chad put out alongside his Expected Buffalo partner Anthony. What RFA's are they qualifying? Are they signing any to long-term deals? Do they pull off a big trade, perhaps for Jason Robertson or Keandre Miller? Is Alex Tuch getting an extension? What free agents are being targeted? Chad tries to project what will happen in advance of the real thing starting within the next few weeks.

That plus Kevyn Adams knowing this is his last chance to turn things around and plenty more with Chad, who you can follow on Twitter @CMDeDominicis and be sure to check out Expected Buffalo.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Joe From Queens to discuss several topics, including an examination of the (mostly lousy) Carolina Panthers to Buffalo Bills pipeline since Sean McDermott came to Buffalo in 2017.

The Bills have obviously been very good during the McDermott/Brandon Beane tenure through this point, making the playoffs all but one year (2018) and have won the AFC east the past five seasons. There's a lot of reasons for their success, but upon examination the constant Panthers to Bills pipeline isn't really among them. The Bills have had 19 players come over from Carolina that played for the Panthers while McDermott was still there. The guys go through and it becomes apparent quickly that the vast majority of those players stunk as Bills. Among them discusses is Star Lotulelei, Vernon Butler, Kelvin Benjamin, AJ Klein and Mike Tolbert. There's also five other players who spent at least two seasons with Carolina after McDermott was gone and ended up with the Bills after and they really weren't much better.

Also, James Cook reported to and participated fully in minicamp last week, which was a pleasant shock to many people including Joe, who just last week predicted Cook wouldn't play for Buffalo until Week eight. They discuss the hot topic that's been at or near the top of Bills storylines all season that seemingly got put to bed.

Also, who's the third best quarterback in Bills history after Jim Kelly and Josh Allen? That plus Joe's Mt. Flushmore of worst fathers, Patrick's True or False segment and much more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, it’s another edition of The Podbag, filled with submissions from listeners that Patrick Moran is responding to, including discussing the Buffalo Bills depth that is significantly better than most give it credit for, favorite Highmark Stadium memory, the Sabres need for a goaltender and other fun topics.

The Bills essentially did nothing at linebacker this entire season until signing veteran Shaq Thompson this past week. Not adding was a decision Patrick didn't like for the majority of the offseason but a submission in the Podbag causes reflection and upon it, realizes there's a reason for it, which leads to thinking about how much quality depth this team has almost entirely across the board.

Also, a fan talks about Josh Allen's performance against New England in the playoffs and the Frank Reich comeback game as the best all-time memories of the Stadium, which of course is heading into its final year of play. Patrick acknowledges though but disagrees and picks something different as his favorite memory.

Other Bills topics include discussing a veteran player who could find himself in trouble this summer and a fam wondering how much James Cook likes being in Buffalo. There's also a few Sabres submissions as well, including a fan admitting the Sabres effect his mental health (yikes). That plus coffee, Busch Light Apple, power ranking the days of the week and more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

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On this special episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is counting down all of his favorite (and least favorite) wing spots in Western New York, taking 97 spots and putting them into seven different tiers that includes his Mt. Rushmore for the year. He's joined by Tommy Seifert from the Buffalo Wing Coalition for his insight and opinions as well.

This is the fourth consecutive year on the podcast Patrick's done a wings ranking and tiers show. A spreadsheet and power rankings nerd, Patrick's been writing reviews and placing wing spots into tiers for years. As always some of the picks are controversial and heavily disagreed on, which of course is primarily because it's a completely subjective process where's it's purely opinion and no right or wrong answer. Patrick highlights several of his most underrated and overrated picks, which is documented through seven tiers: Waiver Wire, Roster Bubble, Depth Chart, Solid Starters, All Pro, Elite and ultimately the Mt. Rushmore.

Tommy has a lot of thoughts as well and discusses where he thinks Patrick got it right and wrong. The Buffalo Wing Coalition has been an amazing resource for people who love wings in the area and it continues to grow. They have their own pyramid of wings rankings, consistent reviews from places both popular and obscure and an incredibly resourceful list of wing specials by location, price and night that'll make going out for wings significantly cheaper. Make sure you check them out.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’sat 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizzaand their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zestfor allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Matt Warren of SB Nation to discuss a handful of Buffalo Bills topics, including an examination of their 2024 offseason one year later and the never ending saga of James Cook this offseason.

It's been an eventful offseason for Brandon Beane and company since losing to Kansas City in the AFC title game this past January. Rather than focusing on that today the guys are going back a ful year to review how the 2024 offseason went. They reflect on and discuss some of the Bills biggest moves, including the re-signings of David Edwards, AJ Epenesa and Taylor Rapp, contract extensions for Dion Dawkins, Taron Johnson and Spencer Brown, signing Curtis Samuel and the draft selections of Keon Coleman, Cole Bishop and Ray Davis.

As for Cook, how his contract and Cook's participation with the Bills plays out this season remains mysterious as the Bills begin mandatory minicamp this week but it's certainly a step in the right direction that he reported for minicamp. Matt and Patrick wonder who may blink first if push comes to shove this summer at training camp and potentially into the regular season. That plus some commentary on head coach Sean McDermott and plenty more.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattRichWarren and be sure to check out Buffalo Rumblings for your (really good) daily Bills content.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time. Also big thanks to Imperial Pizza and their two locations (1035 Abbott Road and 1655 Main Street), home of not only great pizza and tons of other delicious eats but also the best everyday lunch special in town.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast