Astro Notes – Thurs. Aug 7, 2025

Rich.

Rich is a friend from the chat board “2BillsDrive”, where I used to frequent. I owe Rich a ton of gratitude for sharing a ticket to practice. Rich is also how I am feeling on this final day of practice at St. John Fisher University. True wealth is a state of mind, and I am rich beyond measure.

Every day I’ve been here, second string center Jacob Bayer was the first on the field, and it’s no different today, even though 50 minutes before the start of practice. It’s an overcast day, we’re in the 70s, and there is a light breeze. It’s a perfect day for football, and you better be playing today, because all of the exercise bikes are already packed to return to Orchard Park.

Brad Robbins is at the far side of the main field, tying his shoes and stretching at the same time. He walks out to the 5-yard line, turns and stands on the goal line with perfect posture, staring straight ahead. What a great place to pray and recite your goals. He watched the far end of the field and back, pausing at each 10-yard line to go through the motions of a punt.

The Kansas City Chiefs arrive in their alternate uniforms:

First out on the third field is Michael Hoecht, always an early arrival. Ironic given that he won’t play for six weeks. Kelly Skipper and an assistant walk around the track two or three times which isn’t anything compared to the 4 1/2 mile walk that Brandon Beane said that he did each morning.

First at the JUGS machine is Matt Sokol. Given Hawes’ performance, and the height and experience of Zach Davidson, I fear this might be the last time I see him. I feel slightly less the same way about Keleki Latu, who does have some quick hands at the JUGs machine. Latu is undersized compared to, well, all of the tight end position room.

The hard-knocks life: the crew from NFL Films slogs their camera and tripod up to the press box. The camera weighs about 40 or 50 pounds.

Dion stops to sign autographs and take a selfie with a bunch of kids by the route through the tunnel.

Tylan Grable, Kelly Akhayari, Stphen Gosnell, Joe Andreessen, Brandon Codrington, and Keleki Latu are all warming up at the far corner of the astroturfed main field. Gosnell has the JUGs machine throwing passes high and away, or as Bob Ueker would say, “just a little outside”. We’ve seen women in water buffalo hats, a pristine Dan Beebe jersey, more than one Wyoming Josh jersey, a Hawaiian shirt or two, Brandon Codrington pausing to sign autographs on the way in through the tunnel, and a few more gigantic linemen.

Mr. Brightside blares as Josh Palmer steps to the JUGs machine, practicing running toward the ball as he catches it, doing an immediate about face after the catch to simulate running upfield.

After a walk-talk with Joe Brady down the asphalt path, Ray Davis runs through the tunnel onto the practice field, doubling back in a wide circle giving high-fives to all of the people along the fence. He’s a character. He’s also RB1. Keon Coleman took a selfie with the entire left side of the friends and family area. I’m looking for more outgoing behaviors like this from Keon. It will endear him to the fans. As his confidence grows, you’ll see more of it.

Taron Johnson, Jimmy Ciarlo, Tre White and Damar are in the backfield with Terrel Bernard. Josh changes the play, bringing Keon in to block Taron Johnson, who was looking like he was blitzing. Josh throws it long to Palmer, with Trey White ducking at the last minute.

Sean McDermott is dressed in his Tiger Woods outfit with red shirt with the black pants and traditional bucket hat with the brim as wide as all outdoors. In fact, white hat, red shirt, and black pants or shirt is being worn by all of the bills brass today… including Terry Pegula. Brandon Beane is talking with Pegula right now, likely filling him in on the Cook situation. Pegs and Beaner talked for a long time. Just saying. We are concerned about Pegula’s posture. Anybody with $8 billion should have a very good chiropractor.

Palmer on a crossing route is the second play, then Josh fires a nicely layered pass to Kincaid who stands on the end zone line after his touchdown. Again, Josh layers a second tuddy to Kincaid in the coffin corner of the end zone, being covered by Greg Rousseau.

They break for calisthenics. Calisthenics Stars on this final day has familiar names on it: Ed Oliver, Keon Coleman, Taron Johnson, and Josh Palmer. Plus some new stars, Shane Buechele, Elijah Moore. and Kristian Wilkerson. Joe and I agree that the Star of Stars for all of camp was Ed Oliver, whereas Taron Johnson and Keon Coleman are the runners-up.

Kick-Return practice by special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has the up backs getting rolled footballs rolled to them. They’re practicing onside kick coverage. I’m assuming Brad Robbins will double as kickoff man this weekend. Returners today are Codrington, Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, Laviska Shenault, KJ Hamler, Daequan Hardy, and Darrynton Evans, all back fielding the Robbins kicks.

During positionals, Josh and the quarterbacks are working with the running backs and tight ends, with the wide receivers over on the far side of the field. I don’t see Khalil Shakir anywhere. Coach Kromer is working combo blocks with the big uglies down to the left.

All the quarterbacks are throwing out patterns to the tight ends at a pretty brisk pace.Tight ends are doing a blocking drill. Kincaid is paired up with Knox for the demonstration. Zach Davidson and Matt Sokol go second, with Jackson Hawes and Keleki Latu going third. What impresses you about Kincaid is how low he gets on his blocks. You are also taken by how agile Jackson Hawes is, at one point actually changing the direction of his block in mid-play.

They must’ve given Rapp the day off because Cam Lewis is in there at safety.

It’s time for 11 on 11, don’t you think?

Josh is in with receivers Elijah Moore (in Shakir’s absence), with Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer. Ray Davis gets the hand-off. Let me stand on my soapbox to declare that the Bills’ offensive line makes the difference, not whether Cook’s in there or not. Yes, it’s a business, but Terry Pegula could gain yardage behind the Big Uglies Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence, and Spencer Brown.

The second play is a side-arm sizzler to Dawson Knox on the right after looking left at Gilliam. Next, Josh fires a bomb deep to Laviska Shenault on a fly pattern, which is broken up by Tre White and Christian Benford. They do a little dance.

Now the twos come in for their reps, with Trubisky at the helm. On his first play, Trubisky didn’t have anybody to throw to, so he rolls left and connects with a tight end on that side. Shane Buechele had the last reps, with a handoff to Darrynton Evans, with Buechele chasing Evans downfield to the end zone to give him a high-five.

The ones are back in there, with “31” personnel: Gilliam, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes. That’s a max-protection, power-blocking unit right there. They’re practicing plays with the down-and-distance markers showing second and about six yards to go from the 24. Josh throws well upfield to Palmer. It’s right on the money on the far side. Josh and Joe Brady were talking to Ray Davis after the play. Then, it’s Ty Johnson on a curl route over the middle, with Ty immediately turning upfield after the catch. The pre-snap communication among the defense is excellent.

The ball is returned to the 24-yard line for a new series. It starts with a very nice pass to Jalen Virgil on an out route on the far side of the field. The defense has Practice Squad hopefuls Paris Shand, Kaeontae Jenkins, Wande Owens, Te’Cory Couch, and Marcus Harris out there, along with 53-hopefuls Joe Andreessen, Dane Jackson, Darrick Forrest, and Michael Hoecht.

Trubisky gets the third batch of players, not quite the threes, because Ray Davis is out there, with McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence (is this possible?), and Spencer Brown. Trubisky fires a low and outside pass to Elijah Moore, who does catch it, bless his heart. Next, it’s a crossing route by Elijah, and Trubisky puts it right on the money.

It looks like they have Dan Feeney hiking, with Darrynton Evans in the backfield, with able backups on the line including Chase Lundt, Ryan VanDemark, Kendrick Green, and Richard Gouraige. Tyrell Shavers is out wide to the near side, and it’s a very crisp Mike White pass to Keleki Latu, who secures it quick. Next, I think it was Zion Logue who gets his hands on a Mike White pass to the flats, batting it down. It looks like they have Dan Feeney hiking, with Darrynton Evans in the backfield, with able backups on the line including Chase Lundt, Ryan VanDemark, Kendrick Green, and Richard Gouraige. Tyrell Shavers is out wide to the near side, and it’s a very crisp Mike White pass to Keleki Latu, who secures it quick. I think it was Zion Logue who gets his hands on a Mike White pass to the flats, batting it down. He trots off and Logue gets a high five on the sidelines. Chase Lundt was bowled over by Paris Shand in his greatest play of camp. White throws a pass above and behind Kristian Wilkerson. Next play, White changes his signals. On the hike, White backs up quickly, spotting a blitz, but Jordan Hancock and Te’Cory Couch got in there just too fast, with TJ Sanders in the neighborhood as well.

The horn blows.

Josh is poised to go first and 10 from the near 45. Palmer and Coleman to our side Rousseau dropping in coverage on Kincaid. A pass by Josh finds Elijah Moore on the far side with Tre White in coverage, followed by a pass to Josh Palmer with Taron Johnson in coverage. This portion of practice is being run at a quicker pace than last time I was here. You’re certainly gearing up for the game with the Giants.

Josh changes a play on the fly. Kincaid goes deep, Knox goes deep, and Wilkerson goes deep, and all were fairly well-covered, so the underneath pass goes to KJ Hamler streaking across the field. Unclear whether this was Kmart scooter-assisted.

Josh Palmer, and Elijah Moore, if I do say so myself, have really accelerated the last three practices. There is a pass to Palmer in the end zone from Josh.

The practice concludes with end zone work, especially for the twos, threes and future fry cooks.

Orchids go to Frank, the parking lot attendant who greeted us with a smile and a handshake each day when Mrs. Astro dropped me off. Orchids to my indulgent wife Pam, for driving me so I didn’t have to pay $25 to park across the street from Fisher. Orchids to all of those people who gave a ticket to me this year so I could share my Astro-Notes with people as far afield as Mexico and France. Orchids to Fedora Joe, who on some days even went to camp without a ticket, just using a sign that got people to share their unused tickets because We Are BillsMafia.

Onions to Ticketmaster, who could take some lessons from Amazon. Onions to whoever decided that they didn’t need to do recycling this year for all the water and Gatorade bottles consumed. And Onions to players who don’t honor the contract they’ve already signed.

That’s all from St. John Fisher University. Thanks for reading. Go Bills!

Astro out.

Editor’s babble: And that’s a wrap for training camp at St. John Fisher University for 2025. Although it seemed to fly by, I bet the players would not agree. So many thanks to Dean Kindig and Joe Reagan who went over and above to find tickets to get into camp. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro and Joe Reagan @joer869.