WEBVTT - Bills By The Numbers: 2026 Training Camp Preview 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.680 We are back here on Bills by the Numbers, where 0:00:02.720 --> 0:00:04.760 we let the stats tell you where the Bills are at. 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:08.319 Coming up in this episode, we preview training camp as 0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:11.600 it pertains to the offense. How does the pecking order 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:15.040 shake out at receiver after Dj Moore and Khalil Shakir? 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:18.160 Will the Bills throw it more now under new head 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:22.159 coach Joe Brady, And who has the inside track to 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:25.520 start at left guard? And of course we'll have our 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:40.320 one burning question start the countdown clock to camp. It's 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:44.040 Camp Preview edition one here on Bills by the Numbers, 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:45.880 he is Bill's Wall of Famer Steve Tasker on Bills 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:47.960 play by playman Chris Brown. And when it comes to 0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:51.919 the offense, there are some prevailing storylines to discuss and 0:00:52.000 --> 0:00:55.840 weigh out for the Bills. So we begin these three 0:00:55.880 --> 0:01:00.520 things with thing number one. It's relatively clear that DJ 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:02.920 Moore was acquired to be the team's top playmaker in 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:06.440 the passing game. Outside he has been effective in establishing 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:09.240 an on field rapport with Josh Allen through the course 0:01:09.319 --> 0:01:13.119 of OTA's in mini camp in the spring, and he 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:15.320 made more than his share of plays in eleven on 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:18.520 eleven work Khalil Shakir is expected to be next in 0:01:18.560 --> 0:01:21.520 the pecking order after leading the team in receptions and 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:25.319 receiving yards last season. So, Steve Tasker, how does the 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:29.880 pecking order shake out at the receiver position after those 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:32.679 two wideouts in this team's passing game this season? 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:35.560 I think I think Skyler Bell is going to be 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:38.399 a part of this. I think he's a separator. He's 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:42.080 got that he his skill set fits what they're going 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:45.200 to need after DJ Moore and after Khalil Shkir. 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:46.840 So could you see him as the three? 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:48.840 Yeah? I think. 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:53.880 I think Keanus shown us who he is. I think 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:57.280 he's a talented guy who has trouble doing it every game, 0:01:57.360 --> 0:02:03.120 every down, every every series, and I think we'll see 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.560 him do some things for this offense, but I think 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:07.920 it's going to be hard to get him to do 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:12.040 that down to down, series to series, game to game, 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:13.480 week to week, month to month. 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:15.239 We'll see. 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.600 He's certainly as physically talented as anybody in the room. 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:20.720 Maybe he may be the most gifted guy in the room, 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:23.800 no question about it. But I think the consistency is 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.440 one thing they're going to strive to get and we'll 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:32.040 see if if he can accomplish that, that's the real question. 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.560 But I think Skyler Bell is you know, after listening 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:38.000 to the guy speak and watching him play and knowing 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:39.839 what we know about him as a draft pick, which 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:43.840 is not enough, But I think he brings a level 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:47.639 of maturity at a young age that's going to help 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.320 him serve him well. And I think that's going to 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:51.400 be what you know, It's what's going to carry him 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:52.760 through his first training camp. 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:56.800 And all accounts are he has the aptitude to handle 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.560 the playbook as well. That'll be seen more on the 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:04.040 field than based on interviews that we've seen from the 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:06.200 coaches on the offensive side of the ball as well 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.880 as the players. But I think it's safe to say 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:14.440 that your pool for the number three receiver job is Bell, 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:18.680 Joshua Palmer, and Keon Coleman. I think those three guys 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:23.160 are in the mix to be the number three, and really, 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:25.160 in the grand scheme of things, when you think about it, 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:29.120 that person essentially is the number four because Kincaid, I 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:31.520 think we are expecting to be one of the top 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:38.240 three target targets in the passing. But all that being said, 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:44.480 I kind of lean in Bell's direction too. And maybe 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:50.480 it's recency bias because we've been disappointed in what we've 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:54.760 seen from Keon Coleman from a consistency perspective, to your point, 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:58.000 and we were disappointed last year in what this team 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.760 got from Joshua Palmer or because of an injury than 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:06.040 I think anything else. So with Palmer healthy again, can 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:10.000 he change that conversation and dynamic in terms of the 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:15.360 number three receiver competition? And does Coleman finally put it 0:04:15.400 --> 0:04:19.719 all together? Neither of those two players have given us 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:24.240 a tremendous reason to put our stock in those guys. 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.039 Not that Bell has a long track record either. That's 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:31.599 what I think makes this competition so intriguing. We don't 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:34.600 have a track record on Bell, but his college production 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:40.040 is impressive. Palmer is finally healthy, does he have a 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:43.440 better training camp than he had last year? And can 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.560 Coleman duplicate his training camp last year which was very 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.159 promising but didn't come to fruition in the regular season. 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.760 And because of all those questions, I think it's wide open. 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:54.720 Yeah. 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:56.919 Oh I do too, Yeah, because there's so much we 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.479 don't know, and this is all can jest we can 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:02.560 as we're t I mean we're predicting the future, which is, 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:04.040 you know, so risky thing. 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.760 So maybe let's tweak the question a little bit. Among 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:10.680 the realistic options on the roster, who would you see 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:14.280 as the biggest surprise if he ascended into the number 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.279 three receiver role to start the season. 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:19.080 Well, the three guys we talked about, I think the 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:24.320 biggest surprise would be Josh Palmer. He was brought in 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:29.360 and I'm to do that last year, and it didn't happen. 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.880 It didn't happen, and he was, you know, his spot 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:36.240 was vacated all too much because of injuries. He was 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:39.800 compromised by injuries, and I don't know that he'll be 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:42.760 durable enough to make that go away. This year, we'll see. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:46.520 Palmer would be the one who I would be surprised by. 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:48.719 You draft a guy in the fourth round. That's where 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.680 they got Gabe Davis. Years ago they traded for they 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:54.279 traded for Steph Diggs and and got Gabe Davis in 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:57.440 the draft that same year. This year, they traded for 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:01.000 DJ Moore and got Skyler Bell in the exact same spot. 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.239 So it's two players that are the exact same spot 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:05.799 where they were back before they started throwing the football 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:08.479 sixty percent of the time. They traded for a number 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:11.880 one and drafted a guy in the fourth round. One 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:15.840 year it was Steph Diggs and Gabe Davis. This year 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:19.960 it's Dj Moore and Skyler Bell. We'll see if they 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:22.400 if they get the same production out of these two guys. 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.599 I'm a higher on Skyler Bell's catch ratio than I 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.240 was Gabe Davis, but you know, we'll see. 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:31.200 Yeah. 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:34.000 I think I would be most surprised if it's Palmer 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:38.800 in that role as the number three, because I think 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:42.560 Bell is on the come, and I want to believe 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:46.039 that Coleman has done what is necessary to improve his 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:49.560 game to the point to earn and merit real consideration 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.039 for the number three receiver role, all the work he's 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:55.560 done on his own with Stevie Johnson on release his 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:58.960 mental approach to the game. Because we had Stevie Johnson 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.240 on our daily show recently and he kind of outlined 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:06.479 how Keon is as a worker, his dedication to his craft. 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.640 But the consistency factor is still something that I think 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:14.040 has to be readily seen on a weekly basis before 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:17.280 people become believers. Second thing to take a look at 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.280 is Buffalo's offense in terms of its identity under new 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:24.040 head coach Joe Brady. Since Brady took over play calling 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:26.760 duties back in Week eleven of the twenty twenty three season, 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.160 the offense has leaned more heavily on the run game 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:33.480 than most offenses in the league. Over those last seven games. 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:36.520 In twenty twenty three, Buffalo ran the ball fifty three 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:39.360 percent of the time that dipped in twenty twenty four 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:42.239 to forty eight and a half percent run, but bounce 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:45.560 back last season to fifty two point four percent as 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:47.840 James Cook led the league in rushing. There is no 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:51.360 arguing that the Bills, with a second team All Pro 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.640 and three time Pro Bowl back in Cook and a 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:56.760 top flight offensive line can run the ball very effectively. 0:07:56.800 --> 0:08:00.160 The prevailing question is whether the heavy lean in to 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.800 the run game was Joe Brady's choosing or that of 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:08.320 former head coach Sean McDermott. Analytics have conclusively proven that 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.400 the most efficient way to gain yards and score points 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:14.480 is by throwing the ball, and Buffalo has a quarterback 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:16.560 who many feel is the best in the game. So 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:20.120 do the Bills move away from their proclivity to run 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:22.640 the ball as much as any team in football the 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:25.640 last couple of years and lean on Josh Allen's are 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:27.960 more with Joe Brady calling the shots. 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:31.480 Well, I mean you and I have delve into this 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:33.839 in our daily show about you know, this is Joe 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:36.520 Brady's show. Now we're going to get an offensive minded 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:39.480 head coach who's and those guys tend to put their 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:42.600 foot on the gas more so than more so than 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:47.080 steer the ship like a head coach. You know, there's 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.840 a lot in this question. I think the Bills are 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:51.560 going to do whatever it takes to win the game 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:54.520 on that week. But let's face it, if they're trying 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.360 to cover, and I say cover, if they're trying to 0:08:57.520 --> 0:09:00.280 help a defense that is struggling early on in a 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:02.800 new defensive scheme, they're gonna need to run the football 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:05.560 more to shorten games so their defense doesn't have to 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:09.080 go out and to defend more possessions until they find 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:13.520 their way around it. Another thing as well, the thing 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:15.760 we were thing one that we just spoke about the 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.559 wide receivers. How that wide receiver room comes together is 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:20.880 going to have a lot to say about how confident 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.280 they are to drop back on first down consistently and 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:26.040 start throwing the football sixty percent of the time. The 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:27.959 wide receivers have a big say in this as well. 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:30.120 If they can start doing this and Josh is completing 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:33.200 seventy percent of his balls, they don't care if they 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:35.280 can run the football, they don't need to. They're gonna 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.319 be able to score at will. There's a lot in 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:40.960 this so I think week to week this will change 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:45.760 depending on who they play. Week one, it's Houston. They 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:48.480 may need to throw the football or run the football 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:50.959 to take the starch out of that pass rush right 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:53.839 out of the gate. They may hand the football off 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:57.000 just so they can keep Josh upright. Against a defensive 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:57.560 front like that. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:01.240 It has had its way with Buffalo's offensive line on 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:02.280 more than one occasion, and. 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:04.360 They in Week one they ain't gonna know what they've 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:08.760 got in this defense. So I think there's a lot 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:11.480 in this question. But I think when it all shakes 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.160 out at the end of the season, I don't think 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:15.720 there's any question. In my mind, there's no question that 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:20.559 they will pass the ball significantly more than they run. 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:24.440 I'm saying significantly at least, you know, forty five fifty five, 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:28.000 forty seven fifty three sixty. 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.959 With the heavier Yeah. 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:33.280 So yeah, I think that is definitely a thing that 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.720 we can look forward to seeing. But there's a lot 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:38.480 that are gonna have to happen that we're gonna have 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:40.120 to find out about before they can do that on 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:40.920 a regular basis. 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:41.320 Yeah, I. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:48.400 Foresee more throwing and I don't know if it is 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:55.120 completely dependent on how much that receiver room shows its depth, 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:59.439 because I think you have a pass catching weapon in 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.880 your back feet in James Cook, who, for those who 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:07.560 don't remember, was largely a third down back pass catching 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.720 option at the University of Georgia where they were absolutely 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:13.720 loaded at running back and he had troubles just getting 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:17.280 on the field, but that is in his background. And 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.520 couple that with the fact that Joe Brady with his 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:25.359 roots with the Saints, along with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:31.040 who bore witness to Alvin Kamara catching eighty balls a 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:36.800 season for four straight years, I think that more of 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:40.240 Cook's touches could be had with catches out of the 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:45.560 backfield than perhaps carrying the football, you know, three hundred 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:50.079 times as he did last year. So knowing that component 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:54.600 could be at play, I think that yeah, the passing 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:58.319 percentage will go up now. I think it's going to 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:02.920 be probably in that fifty five percent range. It's probably 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:05.840 be somewhere around there. So we're probably looking at a 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.440 six to seven percent increase in throwing the ball because, look, 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:14.320 we cannot forget this. Josh Allen was unleashed on the 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:19.640 rest of the league in twenty twenty when, as you mentioned, 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:22.959 his GM acquired a number one wide receiver via trade 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:26.199 and drafted Gave Davis in round four. Here in twenty 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.840 twenty six, he traded for a number one wide receiver 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.160 in DJ Moore and drafted a receiver in round four 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:32.880 in Skylar Bell. 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.920 That year, they threw the ball a lot. 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:39.560 The year after that, they threw it even more fifty 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.400 nine percent. I think it was somewhere around fifty seven 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:47.400 percent in twenty twenty. Those two seasons remain Josh Allen's 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:52.679 most productive passing seasons of his career in terms of 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:56.080 passing yardage and passing touchdowns. They're still his best. I 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:57.719 think they'd like to get back to that, But at 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.000 the same time, I think you're about the defense is 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:03.400 well taken. It's a defense that has changed its scheme 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:05.880 for the first time in a decade, new play caller 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.679 who's calling plays for the first time ever in the NFL. 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:11.520 There are probably gonna be some growing pains there, and 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:13.880 to protect them, Yes, to your point, they have to 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:15.719 run the ball, much like they did last year with 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:20.280 an injury riddle defense. Right, So, I think that's what 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.559 makes this question so interesting. 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:25.720 But I do think if they start throwing the football, 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:30.079 I think there's a big push or mindset in the building. 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:33.560 Like you said, kind of unleash Josh. 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:35.640 Yeah, put the ball down. That's what the whole thing. 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.600 Put the ball down, snap it, and let's sling it around. 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:43.600 We've got a chance this year, perhaps with with Joe 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:45.440 Brady at least, they want to get to the point 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:49.679 where they can turn Josh Lucien, let him, let him 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:52.120 and this offense be everything that it can possibly be. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.840 I'm talking big plays, ball possession, scoring touchdowns. Josh has 0:13:57.880 --> 0:13:59.840 always been the best guy to score touchdowns. I mean, 0:13:59.880 --> 0:14:03.040 nobody scored faster than he does in their league in 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:06.600 their career. So just lean into that. 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:11.480 Because you can make the argument here because last year 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:17.240 the chosen path was to run it more to shorten 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:21.680 the game. So your defense had fewer opponent possessions to defend, 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:24.680 and you win games that way. They won twelve in 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:29.000 the regular season doing that last year. That's one way 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:30.760 to do it, and you may choose to do that 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:34.200 again this year with a defense that's just getting its 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:36.240 feet under them and is depending on a lot of 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.440 young players too. Let's not forget that. And a first 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:43.000 time play caller in the league. I think the other 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:47.520 side of that is, we don't care. Let's just keep 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:52.560 scoring and challenge that opponent to outscore us. We're just 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:54.560 going to keep our foot on the gas and keep 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:57.560 throwing it and keep scoring, and we'll score thirty five, 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:00.520 sometimes forty, and let's see if you can keep up. 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:03.120 Right, that's the other way to score twenty eight. Which 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:03.560 way do you. 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:04.080 Think Joe's lee? 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:06.640 Yeah, yeah, because we. 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:10.240 Have we have past history of him doing it the 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:13.240 run game way. But was that McDermott's influence. 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:17.480 Well, listen, they changed from Ken Dorsey to Sean McDermot. 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:19.040 Dorsey was throwing it almost every down. 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.120 Yeah, and then they started wait wait, wait. 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:24.200 Wait, and Joe, I mean I gave Joe did what 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:28.640 he was told. Yeah, that's what you're you do that 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:30.560 on a coaching staff. You do what you're told and 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:32.400 you do it as best you can. You figure it out, 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:34.400 and if you want to do something else, you advocate 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:35.560 for it and see if you can get the head 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.480 guy to say, okay, you can try it now. 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:39.280 He doesn't need anybody advocate. 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:39.360 That's right. 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:42.680 I don't know, And it's easy to say, well, Joe 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:44.080 got in there and started running the ball because he 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:46.800 figured that was the best way. And maybe that's true. 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:50.560 Maybe it was Joe, maybe it wasn't. Sean McDermott. 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:53.480 I don't find out. 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:56.040 He grew up with Sean Payton. And we just had 0:15:56.080 --> 0:16:00.480 an entire show yesterday, The Daily Show that with Sean 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:07.560 Payton being the topic of discussion. Call a punt on fourth, 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:10.480 fourth eleven in a playoff game and overtime of a 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:14.840 playoff game. Come on, So Joe cut his teeth in 0:16:14.880 --> 0:16:20.160 that environment? Yeah, I gotta think, right, we're in for. 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:20.680 A little bit of that. 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:21.880 I think we're in for a little bit of that 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:24.640 as well. Our third thing is a bit more straightforward. 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:28.000 There aren't many position battles on the offensive side of 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.520 the ball. A lot of the starting roles are spoken for. 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.400 One that is not is the starting left guard position 0:16:34.520 --> 0:16:37.800 vacated by the free agent departure of David Edwards. Coming 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.760 out of June mini camp, it appears to be Alec 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:44.240 Anderson's job to lose. The former undrafted rookie out of 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.400 UCLA has seen his role increase each of the three 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:49.040 years he has been here, and he appears to be 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:52.040 positioned well to nail down the role. His chief competition 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:56.800 is veteran Austin Corbett, signed in free agency, proven track 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:00.800 record over nine NFL seasons. How do you foresee this 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:03.600 two man competition playing out through camp in the preseason. 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:04.480 Well, I do know this. 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:08.440 If somebody else wins that job, you'll bet that it's 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:10.760 they'll the coaching stapple Field. It's an upgrade from where 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:13.159 they were even last year when they had David Edwards 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:17.160 in there. If somebody comes swoops in, it's because they 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:20.840 absolutely dominated an entire training camp. It's gonna be hard 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.920 for somebody to do that. And if and if Austin 0:17:23.960 --> 0:17:25.920 Corbett comes in, it means he still has a lot 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:28.040 left in his gas tank, because that guy is a 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:30.320 top flight player. He's been playing for nine years. He's 0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:34.960 he's an NFL guard. But he's nine years in going 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:38.399 into his tenth Alec and You're right. I think Alec 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:43.240 Anderson is the is the heir apparent to the spot 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:49.560 left open by by David Edwards. But I think it 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:53.000 will be notable if it is someone other than Alec Anderson. 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.240 He is nothing but if not consistent. He has been 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.520 that guy ever since he walked in the door. And 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:01.760 if somebody comes in and is able to wrench that 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.520 away from or is a better option than Alec Anderson, 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:07.040 You've gotta feel really good about that good. We know 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:09.080 who Alec Anderson. He has been in there, He's been 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:12.800 on this team, He's played in games and played significant 0:18:12.800 --> 0:18:17.720 snaps in some and has acquitted himself extremely well. If 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:21.480 somebody comes in and is the guy instead of him, 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.280 this offensive line is gonna steamroll just like it has. 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.480 I mean, they're gonna be They're gonna once again put 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:31.359 together an outstanding season. But because I Alec Anderson is 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:33.680 a guy who is a quality NFL player, he has ready, 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:36.159 he knows the system, he's ready to step in. It 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.000 is a seamless transition. And somebody comes in and plays 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:41.600 well enough to derail that transition. 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:45.840 Yeah, that's that's. 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:48.520 Something that's probably a good thing, a good thing, very 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:48.920 good thing. 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:54.760 I believe Anderson is smart enough to know what is 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:57.399 sitting in front of him, and what is sitting in 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:01.080 front of him is not just a starting opportunity, but 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:07.920 an opportunity to the all important second NFL contract. This 0:19:07.960 --> 0:19:12.200 is a guy who's been playing basically for the minimum 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:17.560 as an former undrafted rookie the last three years for 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:24.960 the Bills. So he nails this down, performs well, stays healthy, 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:28.600 keeps what is regarded by many to be a top 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:32.719 offensive line in the league relatively playing at the same level. 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:36.800 He's gonna get a nice contract in the offseason from 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:39.520 this football team, for sure. I think one of the 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:42.960 main reasons he is in this position in the first 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.240 place is because of the way he played last year 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:50.920 when he had to play right tackle at Pittsburgh against 0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:54.480 you know, TJ. Watt and that crew with Ryan Vandermark 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.800 on the other side, and granted they ran the ball 0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:01.159 a lot, but he acquitted himself quite well there for 0:20:01.240 --> 0:20:04.399 the balance of that game, which ended up being a 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:06.240 victory for the Bills on the road and a much 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:11.200 needed one. So I think that gave the offensive staff 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.640 which is to a large degree the same the confidence 0:20:14.680 --> 0:20:16.959 to say, you know what, we put him in at 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:20.080 guard when we lose David Edwards, who's going to get 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:24.760 a bankroll of money. We think he can do it. 0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:28.240 I think Austin Corbett, as much as I respect his 0:20:28.320 --> 0:20:32.240 game and his career, I think, for for all intents 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:34.880 and purposes, he's an insurance policy. 0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:39.240 If something happens and a guy like comes from like 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:42.080 Jude Bowery gets slid down from his tackle spot and 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:44.800 slides down in there, yep, or guy like Bruno Fina 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:46.640 comes in, it's like, wow, this kid can play. 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.680 Or even Cedric van Praying Grainger, who has lined up 0:20:49.720 --> 0:20:52.359 more at guard through the course of the spring. I 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:55.200 think those are some dark horse candidates that could wedge 0:20:55.240 --> 0:20:56.560 themselves into the competition. 0:20:57.400 --> 0:21:00.159 Any if it is anybody other than than the two 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:03.600 guys were talking about Corbett Anderson, it's a good thing. 0:21:03.960 --> 0:21:06.639 Yeah, it's a good thing. We pivot now to the 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:09.600 numbers game unless by injury, of course, well right right, 0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:12.520 And that again is why you have the insurance policy 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:15.160 of Austin Corbett as well. Somebody who's played there knows it, 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:18.760 and more importantly has played under Aaron Kromer and knows 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:21.000 all the blocking techniques and schemes as well that are 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:23.320 coached by Pat Meyer, who's an Aaron Kromer disciple, the 0:21:23.320 --> 0:21:26.320 new offensive line coach. But we move now to the 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:31.040 numbers game, where Steve will be quizzed on training camp history. 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:35.440 Here we go, question number one. Since the Bills moved 0:21:35.520 --> 0:21:39.920 training camp to Saint John Fisher, how many different NFL 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:45.000 clubs have the Bills faced in joint practice sessions? 0:21:46.440 --> 0:21:46.640 Oh? 0:21:46.640 --> 0:21:53.240 Wow, so they started coming over here in ninety nine. 0:21:53.440 --> 0:21:58.600 Two thousand was the first camp at st How many 0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:03.280