Training Camp Notes – Monday, July 29

9 am. It’s sticky and the hottest day yet..

Gunner Britton and Mack Hollins (red shirt with bottom 2/3 in long flowing strips) are out first. Kelly Skipper is doing his walk. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.

Tylan Grable is waddling down. Keep it under your hat, but I heard that Sedrick Van Pran-Granger has moved into the second string Guard position, and it might have slid Grable down to the threes. Gunner Britton is next, and does what he always does –signs autographs. Giving back. Same as it ever was.

Gable Steveson is next, chatting with the photographer, shaking his hand. David Edwards brings up the end of the first batch. He slaps a Iow five with a guy in a golf cart. If he’s got Gatorade in that cooler, they may have consummated a deal.

Deion Jones and Zach Davidson are early regulars at the JUGS machine. Both are bubble players with a shot at the practice squad.

One of our camp favorites, Daequan Hardy, opts to head to his left rather than go through the tunnel. Shane Buechele gives a fist bump to a jerseyless player. I’m guessing Andy Isabella, who we think is behind K.J. Hamler in a battle for Speedy Little Guy.

Football players are looking more like football players in their shoulder pads today. Dion Dawkins, giving low fives to everybody along the fence is a Kodak Moment. Tre’ McKitty is taking some extra JUGS work. You heard it here first, but it is possible that McKitty is on the depth chart higher than Zach Davidson, as improbable as that might be –it will come down to the recceiving skills. Starting TE Dalton Kincaid walks in through the tunnel with Starting RT Spencer Brown. Ray Davis is looking less like a fire hydrant with shoulder pads on.

The Final Five onto the field are Von Miller, Dawson Knox, Reggie Gilliam, Curtis Samuel, and bringing up the rear is Keon Coleman. Same as it ever was.

A cheer rises up. It could’ve been those guys, or the fact that there is now a breeze???

We’ll have a couple of plays to get loose before calisthenics. Your WRs are Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins. Samuel is gonna play the role of the running back in this case. I see number four on the sidelines so James Cook has come back after his excused absence yesterday. In the defensive backfield, you have the rookie Cole Bishop, and Ja’Marcus Ingram is getting a look. The second play is a first and 10 from the 20, and Josh flings it out wide to Coleman on the left flat. Notably, by our count five different guys have played in the slot so far this camp. The pace on these warm-up plays is just above a trot, but slower than a canter. Josh’s next lob goes to Shakir at the pylon, far side.

Calisthenics Effort Awards—Those exerting extra effort in calisthenics today include Ja’Marcus Ingram, Dee Delaney, Khalil Shakir, Lawrence Keys III, Mitch Trubisky, Mack Hollins, Shane Buechele, A.J. Epenesa (the first time I’ve mentioned him), and Keon Coleman.

After calisthenics, we have the offensive line in the left end zone in Kromer Formation, in lines and columns (he runs a tight ship). The first line of players are each diving on loose “balls “fumbles” rolled on the ground. There’s always a new drill every year, and this is one. Now, I wouldn’t rely on any of these guys to recover a fumble, but Tylan Grable probably did it best if you forced me to pick one.

An emphasis at the other end of the field is blocking on kick returns. Deion Jones had some difficulty with his block, and he knew it –he clapped his hands in disgust as he got up off the ground. On the other hand, Te’Cory Couch looked much better. Hollins and Shavers were blocking on our side. Neither looked out of place, and you could see both of them getting a spot on the 53 by virtue of their special teams contributions. Tre’ McKitty looked a little better than Zach Davidson in the blocking department, and Baylon Spector kept at his block long enough to keep the kick returner clean.

Now that the blocking fundamentals have been taken care of, it’s time for the real thing –an 11-on11 kick return! They’ve lined up everybody in the in their kick return formations here. Both teams line up 5 yards apart. There’s no motion until the returner touches the ball. Five yards is safer; none of this running for 40 yards building up ahead of steam to disembowel the returner. This should lead to fewer injuries.

Notable blocking performance by Gable Steveson (first mention of the Olympian’s name). Also, the most impressive return was by K.J. Hamler. Ray Davis is my choice for second option at KR. Cole Bishop first down the field in the ensuing kick-return drill.

I gaze over at the trio of unused exercise bikes. Taron Johnson and Von Miller are doing rest-day stretching exercises behind the bikes, but it’s nice that after four practices, we don’t have riders yet in the Tour De Fisher.

Pairs of Kromer’s offensive linemen are working on leverage blocking left and right to open up lanes in the center of the field. They follow that up with two-on-one blocks with one of them moving on to block at the second level.

The wide receivers are working on protecting the ball as they run through a gauntlet of three trainers then diving onto a mat. There’s a lot of good movement today, nobody standing around. Players have to maintain balance through contact twice, then dive onto the mat. Lawrence Keys looked the most awkward at it, and James Cook looked the most comfortable with it.

Some of the positional drills are same old same old (Same as it ever was). The same as yesterday, Josh is doing a handoff with one ball, then being given a second ball to pass off the same play, essentially completing both options in an RPO. Josh is whipping it to Ray Davis there, and Davis calmly catches it. The other two quarterbacks, Trubisky with the twos and Buechele with the threes were throwing it with less velocity.

Rob Boras’s TE players are in front of us, doing leverage blocking, both left and right. Joe notes the curious lack of tennis balls this year. The last couple of years, two players would toss 2 or 3 tennis balls back and forth, just for eye-hand coordination.

One of my favorite drills to try and call out: The mano-a-mano drill between OL and D-Linemen! To the credit of the coaches and type of players we’ve assembled, this drill was done without animosity, and lots of focus on getting themselves better.

• O’Cyrus Torrence pushes Gable Steveson back 5 yards.
• Keaton Bills gets nice and low and lifts his man. Bills is the shortest guy out there so he has to have some compensatory strength.
• Davis Edwards gets points against Ed Oliver.
• Connor McGovern turns his man and makes him lose balance.
• DaQuan Jones is kept off the quarterback by O’Cyrus Torrence.
• Rousseau just bulls his opponent, Spencer Brown backwards in an impressive show of offseason strength training.
• Kevin Jarvis is showing some authority against DeShawn Williams.
• We see some nice arm use by Eli Ankou (who I like at a backup NT spot) against Will Clapp (as a backup Center).
• Dawuane Smoot showed great leg power against Alec Anderson.
• Richard Gouraige stuck with it against his man.
• Keaton Bills stayed square in front of Rondell Bothroyd but Bothroyd didn’t finish.
• DeWayne Carter looked great for a newbie but just needs more tools in that belt.
• Brandon Deen showed good push on his rep, both with hands and leg drive.
• David Ugwoegbu was scrappy, but Travis Clayton held him off his target.
• Keaton Bills pancakes Bothroyd.
• Alec Anderson kept a wide stance (legs and arms) on Gable Steveson, who kept low (partly because he’s 6’1″) and used a powerful leg drive.

The D.J. turns up the music. Time for some real pretend football! Where is the dancing? I want dancing ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

11 on 11

Handoff to James Cook leads the 11-on-11 session. A.J. Epenesa is your right defensive end, with Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin, Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams in the backfield. The defense is being hamstrung by not being allowed to tackle to the ground at this point. Josh passes to Keon Coleman, followed by three straight misses by the wide receivers / PBUs by the back seven. Finally, Samuel grabs one and we’re in business.

Alec Anderson and Spencer Brown were in the middle of a scuffle with Terrel Bernard on the other side. Sorry I didn’t catch more of it because I was paying attention to the —hello— first and second string at the other end of the field.

More drops and missed targets ensue. K.J. Hamler had to drop and do 10 for his transgressions. Josh throws a little too long for Shakir, who had done a nifty out and up route. The next pass, a slant to Mack Hollins, was right on the money. Then, it’s a stop and go by Curtis Samuel, who spins around, snares it for the touchdown, and spins that ball on the ground in the end zone on his knees. Josh has a nice 15-yarder against Damar Hamlin. Now, it’s a buttonhook by Khalil Shakir, who catches it then deftly spins away out of that back shoulder. Xavier Johnson can’t connect on a route but he doesn’t do 10 pushups. Two more drops. and it’s time for Shane Buechele.

Joe just brought me a Gatorade Zero Cool Blue, the first one I ever had. This isn’t a paid advertisement. It tastes like Hawaiian Punch maybe a little salty. The 10 calories is nice, and I needed the rejuvenation.

A nice Curtis Samuel – Ray Davis combination in the backfield ISN’T the same as it ever was that time. You’d have to go back to the days of Boobie Braxton, but I date myself. A handoff to either could make for a long gain. You see lots of pre-movement looks, eye candy, as it were. Kincaid goes in motion one way, but Josh hands off to Cook going the other way. Lots of pre-snap movement. Here’s Mack Hollins in motion, with the handoff to Ray Davis off tackle.

But it’s NOT the same as it ever was. The Defense, especially run defense, is here.

Looks like the D had it blocked up nicely.

Trubisky is in now, looking one way, then throwing to Quintin Morris the other way. You have to be impressed with –and respect– the motion, because if the defense follows the motion, there’ll be a lot open on the back side.

Now it’s the threes’ turn. Buechele, having a great camp in his own right, throws way downfield to Curtis Samuel. I like this, because it looks like they are mixing in some of the first-string wide receivers, like I hope they’ll do in the Blue and Red Game.

You have to be pleased that the Bills have Gouraige and VanDemark waiting in the wings at the Tackle position. Both have been impressive.

We’ll make a neon orange Bobby Boucher Jersey our Jersey of the Day. A second-place entry is a women’s jersey, with “#Bills” on the front, but the B is a stylized “3”, as in Damar. Tasteful and subtle –the opposite of Bobby Boucher.

11-11

You have Shakir as the wideout, Hollins in the slot, and Kincaid on the other side. They are trying some runs here, and the run defense is having none of it. Terrel Bernard blows up Ty Johnson –our Hit of the Day– and he’s still down.

When play resumes, it’s Coleman, Hollins, with two in the backfield and it’s an offsides call. Both teams are pointing at each other. Offense gets the five yard assessment from Sean McDermott and The Zebras. Same play, and streaking across the field is Tyrell Shavers, who snares the ball out of midair with a hands catch. Shavers showed us more on that play than any other moment in the last 2 years.

Is Shavers working his way onto the 53 as your fifth or sixth receiver? What about Shorter? Can you leave Hamler off the WRs? Is ex-Chiefs’ Marquez Valdes-Scantling even an option? This is why we love football.

Shavers is still out there, they put Samuels in motion, but the give is up the middle. Ray Davis makes five hard yards, and is pushed back by a stingy first string defense.

A thin veil of merciful clouds are making it a little bit cooler now (maybe it was the Gatorade Zero). Thank you, Alberta wildfires!

The twos come in. A nice slant pass from Trubisky to Quintin Morris makes you realize you’re seeing Brady’s variation on this offense: opposing, deceptive motion, with a wide receiver going to the right pre-snap and a running back cutting back to the left. Trubisky stays out there with Alec Anderson, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Ryan VanDemark, and Reggie Gilliam, among others. The give is to Darrynton Evans, and I don’t see that he got much there. Even the second-string run defense is a begrudging one.

Buechele brings out the team three which you’ll see a lot of in preseason. There’s a small window off left guard for ‘Gore The Younger’ to run through. It closes almost as fast as it opened up.

Defensive backfield for the threes included Joe Andreesen, Kendall Williamson, Dee Delaney, Keni-H Lovely among others. Buechele hits Bryan Thompson with a deep pass in front of Lovely. Thompson has really been getting a lot of ink these last two days. Frankly, he’s getting more ink than Shorter.

The ones are back out there, and Josh’s handoff up the middle goes to James Cook for about five yards. It’s second and five from the 30 yard line. A nice darting run from K.J. Hamler nets him first down, moving the chains. It’s first and ten from the 41, and Brady unveils yet another wrinkle: the first jet sweep of camp. It’s really another good example of contrasting directions, getting the defense to zig, and then zagging. Allen throws a rope 45 yards down to Shakir for a touchdown. Josh is there to congratulate him first.

Trubisky brings out the twos, and I’ll tell you: that defensive front seven including Spector, Toohill, and Benford right now looks good. They are very stingy team against the ground game. Trubisky tries motion to run up the gut again and no dice. DeWayne Carter, Austin Johnson, and Deion jones put a stop to that.

The ones return to the field. Josh rolls right and throws it to Curtis Samuel on a crossing pattern. Then it’s another tight end screen, which is just another thing DCs are gonna have to think about with this Joe Brady offense. Now, it’s a tight alignment, with a fake handoff to Ray Davis, then passing back to him on the right sideline. Davis gets six, and is a little slow to get up. He points at the ground, maybe he put a hole in it. I blame a gopher.

James Cook’s in the backfield. There is a fumble on the snap, and it’s time to start worrying about the situation at Center. Connor McGovern is looking sheepish right now, knowing that Van Pran-Granger can’t be too far away.

Defenders on the first string are just swarming to the ball. This time it was Baylon Spector and Casey Toohill impressing on the play. Remember, Von Miller’s having a vet rest day.

Curtis Samuel made the Catch of the Day. The Hit of the Day was Terrell Bernard blowing up Ty Johnson. We do wish Ty a speedy recovery; it’s a stacked backfield.

Will Clapp is in there now at Center with Trubisky, and Clapp’s hikes are amazing. Handoff to Darrynton Evans who, with Trubisky right on his tail, takes it the distance for a touchdown.

I will say it again and again because it’s true… This year’s St. John Fisher University hospitality staff is the best I’ve seen in 13 years of doing #AstroNotes. Somebody is hiring the right people. When I’m dropped off by Mrs. Astro at the lower bus loop, I’ve befriended Bernard, the lot attendant there. Bernard works three jobs to make ends meet, yet he is blessed with a friendly, grounded, personality, and offers a big smile at the beginning and end of the day. It’s people that are the real takeaways from any experience. I’ll remember the 2024 SJF folks in orange as the best ever.

​​Twitter: @TCBILLS_Astro

Bills Fanalyst and Writer, www.BuffaloFAMBase.com​NFL Draft: ​http://buffalofambase.com/author/deankindig/

Editor’s babble: Many thanks to Dean Kindig and Joe Reagan for their terrific camp reports!