Buffalo Bills: 2017 Training Camp Preview
With the Buffalo Bills set to start the 2017 season with training camp on July 27th, we take a quick look at some things to watch for.
The Buffalo Bills are returning to St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY (right outside of Rochester), their training camp home since 2000.
This will be the first camp under the new regime. New Head Coach Sean McDermott, new Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison, and new Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier will lead their respective staffs for the first time as a unit.
New GM Brandon Beane will be watching his first training camp as head of the Bills’ front office.
There are also new rookies looking to settle into their respective positions.
Second round pick Zay Jones is likely to be penciled in as the number two wide receiver behind the potential star, but injury prone, Sammy Watkins.
Philly Brown, Andre Holmes, and Dezmin Lewis are among the other wideouts looking to earn playing time.
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Perennial Pro Bowlers Richie Incognito and Eric Wood are mainstays on the offensive line.
Cordy Glenn, Jordan Mills, John Miller, Seantrel Henderson, and free agent signee Vladimir Ducasse will help fill out the rest of the O-Line.
Rookie offensive lineman Dion Dawkins will also try to work his way into the starting core after being taken in the second round this past April.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor should get most of the first-team reps as the starting gig is his to lose.
Coach McDermott said he was open to a QB competition with veteran TJ Yates and rookie Nathan Peterman, but that is rather unnecessary.
LeSean McCoy will be the starting running back as he looks to continue being one of the best backs in the league.
His backup, however, is a question mark. Jonathan Williams is the favorite to win the backup job. However, it could go to any of the other RBs on the roster if they prove themselves.
The highly paid Charles Clay will be the top tight end. Hopefully, Tyrod Taylor can get him the ball down the middle more this season and in camp.
Fullback Mike Tolbert followed McDermott from Carolina to Buffalo to be the starting fullback. The three-time Pro-Bowler begins his first season with the Bills after five strong seasons with the Panthers.
Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him all last year, Reggie Ragland will help veterans Preston Brown and Lorenzo Alexander get the linebacking core ready.
The defensive line is following the lead of arguably the best Bill of the past 17 years, defensive tackle Kyle Williams.
A healthy Shaq Lawson, Marcell Dareus, Jerry Hughes, and Jerel Worthy will help lead the way as pass rushers.
Buffalo spent significant resources to upgrade their secondary in 2017. First round pick Tre’Davious White joins young standout Ronald Darby and Buffalo’s big free agent signing, Micah Hyde, in the Bills secondary.
You can’t win in football without stellar special teams. The Bills will be sticking with long time Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman.
With the addition of kicker Steven Hauschka, Buffalo will be looking to turn kickoffs into touchbacks and convert all field goal and extra point attempts.
Next: New York Giants: Top Five Players in Need of a Big Preseason
The Bills staff has a ton of work ahead of them to get the roster down to 53 players.
With NFL teams reporting to camp this week, football season is almost officially underway.
The Buffalo Bills are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in 17 years and it all starts in training camp.