Training Camp Notes – Friday, July 26

Eduafan Ulofoshio and Reid Ferguson are the first out today, followed by Andy Isabella and Sam Martin. Final of the five is number 68, Tylan Grable. It’s a gorgeous day. The kids running the JUGS machine have a girl in a staff shirt and braided ponytail standing 10 feet away from the machine and she’s catching every single pass. 100% catch rate.

The parade has begun.

Ray Davis looks like a bowling ball. Khalil Shakir didn’t wave at me today, but I will get through it. DeWayne Carter is going to be a mainstay. He’s doing everything right, smiling, signing autographs before he walks in through the tunnel. James Cook opts to go the long way around, not entering via the tunnel. Josh, the anointed one, in his monk’s hoodie, makes his way through the tunnel after taking obligatory pictures with some of the entitled along the fence.

Josh and Shane Buchele are tossing the pigskin back-and-forth along the sidelines to TE Zach Davidson.

Milano still has one of his legs heavily wrapped, and he’s walking through the tunnel with Taylor Rapp. Those two are going to make a difference in the success, or mediocrity of the Bills’ season. Milano is jumping with his 2 feet parallel, back-and-forth along the 40-yard line, which puts a great deal of stress on the outside of your knee. I’m satisfied.

You’re starting with a “fire drill’ exercise, to quickly switch out personnel after a play to convert a field goal attempt. Everything is going like clockwork.

Players putting forth extra energy in calisthenics today include Mack Hollins, Josh Allen, Zack Davidson, Ja’Marcus Ingram, and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. Keni-HLovely is also stretching correctly. KJ Hamler got all the way down in a hamstring stretch. That was impressive.

In positionals, OL Coordinator, Aaron Kromer, has the guys coming off a blocking sled to block a second player. Richard Gouraige put forth the most effort in his second block, and Travis Clayton takes his blockee for a little extra ride down the field.

There’s less standing around today. They are practicing releases off the line of scrimmage for kicks and punts, That’s #18, Justin Shorter, getting to the kick returner the quickest. I should also point out Ja’Marcus Ingram for the same thing, and Mack Hollins.

Jack Browning punts go 50 yards, but Sam Martin’s job is safe: He just boomed one punt, forcing the kick returner to move back 12 yards. It was a perfect spiral in the air. Isabella and Hardy and (one more) are the three taking turns catching the punts.

Best Shirt Department: On the bus Wednesday, a lady had a shirt that was a combination Marilyn Monroe and Josh Allen –one of the more unique ones.

James Cook missed an in-route, dropping the ball, and immediately got back in line at the head of the line and caught the next one. I might have to mention that Ray Davis had no problem catching the ball on his turn.

Now it was the tight ends’ turn to catch the passes. Knox had the most trouble with feet, but his hands sure impressed. Kincaid’s feet-and-hands combination were superior to the other tight ends. None of them had trouble catching the ball. Zach Davison continues to impress, with feet, hands, and his six-foot seven height.

Back to the positional drills. Spencer Brown lays a block with pop at the second level. He also understands leverage, turning his man outwards when he’s a pulling tackle coming across the formation.

Terry and Kim Pegula are here. Kim is in a tricked-out GMC minivan, likely the GMC Denali. Sean is over talking to them now.

Time for the seven on seven drills, as the defense is coming back from their super-secret third practice field. Josh didn’t even hesitate when throwing Kincaid; Kincaid was basically thrown open. A huge roar comes up for Keon Coleman’s touchdown catch –almost the decibel level of Josh’s Tunnel Entrance. We’ll make that the Way-Too-Early Catch of the Day.

Josh pumps once, then throws a dart to Claypool right before he goes out of bounds. Pretty. A drag route to Knox over the middle is surely a close second in these seven-on-sevens.

Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop are your back end safeties. Josh looks left, then throws to his right to Khalil Shakir at the five, and he crosses the goal line. The team runs down to congratulate Khalil. This could be the most important initial improvement from Joe Brady. Teammates, no divas allowed.

11 on 11 time

You’ll want to watch for an equal number of runs as passes this year. It will open up the pass game as the fourth-quarters will attest this season. Basically it’ll be “pick your poison”. But not Matt Milano. He sniffs out a “QB Sweep Right/Screen Pass Left” to Samuel for no gain. Second-string comes in, and RT La’el Collins, does a great job ushering Damar Hamlin wide on a safety blitz.

DeWayne Carter would’ve sacked the QB on the next play, but Trubisky did make a notably nice throw and catch by M-VS.

The third string? Shane Buechele’s pass to Zach Davidson was quick and decisive. He has a nice play to our Speedy Gonzalez, KJ Hamler. Buechele accompanies Frank Gore Jr. on his way through to a touchdown.

Von Miller –the one you remember in the olden days– bursts through the line, and completely foils the first play in the second series of the starters. Next, James Cook dances through the center of the DL, the OL blocking it up quite well in this no-pads, no-hitting practice. Joe Brady put in a new wrinkle, involving changing James Cook’s position pre-snap, but I am not allowed by the credentialed media to talk about it. Oh, wait… maybe I am because I’m not credentialed! Okay, they lined Cook up just forward of Josh in the center, so the hike could be to him, to Josh, and Cook could delay out of there into the flats for a pass. (Maybe next year you’ll let me be credentialed media!)

Claypool, Shavers, Shakir, and Kincaid are with Ty Johnson at RB on the next play. Josh just effortlessly lofts it to Shavers about 30 yards downfield. There is definitely instruction going on “live” between many of these plays, with Joe Brady pointing, gesturing, and talking with Josh and Ty Johnson. It’s probably helpful for new installation, but it does interrupt the flow.

11 on 11 resumes. Ed Oliver breaks up the first play and does his little “giddyup horsie” dance. Rasul Douglas and Cole Bishop are in the backfield with Taron Johnson, Terrel Bernard, and Christian Benford. Here you see a lot of pre-snap movement with a quick decisive Josh-pass on the left flat to Shakir, who snares it and trots back.

The defense, specifically the defensive line, is doing really well coming up in the passing lanes. That time it was either Oliver or Dawaune Smoot getting the tip. The twos trot out there, with Hamlin and Mike Edwards deep, with Kaiir Elam and Dorian Williams also in there. Baylon Spector is giving the instructions to the defense and they break. Trubisky goes back under in the huddle. He has La’el Collins as his right tackle. A swing pass out to Ray Davis gains about 11 yards. Trubisky then passes to Reggie Gilliam over the middle (after patting the ball a bit –remember Trent Edwards? Okay, Trubisky isn’t Trent Edwards).

The Threes do a very nice handoff to Darrynton Evans, who tracked down the right side of the field for a score. Zach Carpenter sprints back and Dion Dawkins gives Evans a high-five. A pass to Tre’ McKitty makes me think we have a decent third-string quarterback in Shane. He looks in control out there.

Lots of motion by Isabella and an amazing catch by Shorter on the sideline; he gets high-fives from many of the 3s.

Shakir has a rare drop on the far side of the field. However, it was very good defense on that side. Hamlin is out there with the ones along with Mike Edwards. Ty Johnson with a catch, Cam Lewis shows blitz and then actually blitzes, rushing the play and Edwards had a shot at an INT.

The defense really came to play today, and I am sure the first few days of camp were not lost on the boys in blue. A diving catch on the far side of the field by Shakir while completely covered by Ingram makes the defense close their yap. Mack Hollins makes a nice grab, also on the far side of the field by the bleachers ( which will be in the shade Sunday).

Editor’s babble: We are so grateful for Dean Kindig and Joe Reagan for their unique and priceless camp notes. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro and Joe @joer869.