Tyrod Taylor and company may be off to a faster start than we thought. The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback flew in multiple team members over the offseason to get some extra work in.
Flights, hotel rooms, food, and training equipment can cost thousands, but what is the price of success? It doesn’t come cheap in the NFL, and the young Bills’ offense is figuring that out.
According to newyorkupstate.com, Tyrod Taylor flew in a plethora of teammates to his Atlanta home:
"“Players came to work with Taylor in shifts. He paid for everything for every player. Tight ends Charles Clay, Nick O’Leary and Logan Thomas made it down. So did fullback Patrick DiMarco and running back LeSean McCoy, who also lives in Atlanta for the offseason. Wide receivers Andre Holmes, Walter Powell, Dez Lewis, Zay Jones and Watkins all made it down. Taylor put them all up in hotels and fed them. He organized workouts during the day and took the guys golfing or bowling in the evening. “"
Just about every offensive player that will contribute this season was there working with Taylor. It never hurts to put in a little overtime, but it is clear now that the Buffalo Bills players weren’t taking any lengthy vacations from their craft.
Tight end, Charles Clay was quoted saying that the players were so spent at the end of the day that they didn’t have time to party or anything of the sorts.
A few questions later, Tyrod Taylor was asked what the price of all of this was. Taylor said that he didn’t care.
"“I would have to go back and calculate it,” Taylor said. “I really didn’t necessarily worry about that. I just wanted it to be comfortable for everyone down there. I couldn’t ask everyone to come down there and have them pay. I didn’t mind doing that because it was my idea to bring everyone down. I know everyone’s situation is different as well. The main thing was I just wanted to get those guys down there and get some good work on the field and spend time with each other. We were gone for a couple of weeks, but these are our brothers, the guys that we grind for and fight for. In the dog days, you remember guys that you worked hard with. I just wanted to build that bond. It’s something that we haven’t had the past couple of years.”"
It is refreshing to see Tyrod Taylor taking such a heavy leadership role within the team, and I’m sure Sean McDermott appreciates it. There are restrictions on how much a coach can work with his guys during the offseason, so having a second coach in Taylor is crucial to the team’s success.
This practice seems a lot different than what other teams do. Yes, the players gather and run drills, but I don’t recall a Bills’ team that put 15+ guys together and had an offseason mini-camp. Quite different than the heart-to-heart that the Seahawks held a few offseasons ago after their traumatic super bowl loss.
In the article, Watkins was quoted saying how he expected to go down to Taylor’s house and throw the ball around a little. He didn’t expect to get ordered around by a drill instructor that is Tyrod. Watkins commented on his quarterback’s work ethic and how much he runs.
It sounds like the team has had quite the offseason, and it seems to be translating well into training camp.
The Buffalo Bills play the New York Jets week 1.
Next: Buffalo Bills 2017 Schedule Analysis: Week 14-17
Do you think the Bills will have early success because of this? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!