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Monday Morning Charge: Govenor gives green light to open training camp

By Matthew Hodowany

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Buffalo Bills players run onto the field before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Buffalo Bills players run onto the field before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /
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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 29: Buffalo Bills players run onto the field before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 29: Buffalo Bills players run onto the field before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Buffalo Bills got good news this past week about potentially being able to have training camp this summer.

In the wake of the COVID-19 virus that has swept the globe, forcing businesses small and large to close their doors in hopes to combat the spread, New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that New York sports teams may re-open facilities for training camps and this is good news for the Buffalo Bills.

This can potentially give the players and staff a chance to get back to some resemblance of normal as the start of the regular season creeps closer. When talking about the players, the opening of the training camp is especially welcoming for the 2020 draft class along with the free agents the Buffalo Bills have signed in the offseason.

With the normal start time of NFL training camps beginning some time in July, the late-May announcement by the NY official gives the team time to determine how they will conduct training camp. By no means will this be a traditional camp in any sense of the word as the location may change as the camp’s start day nears.

In past seasons, the Bills have held their camp at St. John Fisher College located in Pittsford, N.Y. With state and national concern regarding player and fan public safety, as well as social distancing, it is unlikely that St. John Fisher College will host the Bills again. Instead, it is speculated by media, including Vic Carruci, that the Bills will instead opt to stay close to home and carry out camp at New Era Field in Orchard Park.

Though the state of New York has allowed teams to partake in training camp, it is yet to be determined if the NFL will give the green light as well. With states such as California and even New York’s own New York City continuing to be a hotspot for COVID-19, allowing other teams to go head with training camp would pose an unfair competitive advantage for said teams allowed to practice.

With that in mind, teams across the league have had to make do with the resources they have available in order to gear up for the season. This means that the Bills, along with the rest of the NFL, have had to carry out offseason programs virtually. Using video-conferencing technology such as Zoom calls and socially-distant workouts has allowed the Bills some resemblance of an offseason though the chance to get back out on the field to run plays and reconnect will be welcomed with open arms once the players arrive.

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