The Buffalo Bills will be kicking off the start of organized team activities (OTAs) next week and these are some of the top storylines heading into this next phase of the offseason
On Monday, the Buffalo Bills will begin three weeks of OTAs with three practices next week. Over the past few months, the coaching staff has been able to interact with veterans and do some drills but this will be the first time they can do 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills this offseason.
Last weekend, it was the rookies who got a chance to work with the coaching staff during the rookie minicamp but Monday will be the first chance to have the entire team together.
While championships are not won during this time, it helps to set the foundation for what the franchise hopes will be an exciting season and hopefully one that ends at the Super Bowl. The Buffalo Bills don’t have many questions entering OTAs but these are some of the top storylines for this team.
Will Jordan Poyer participate?
While these next three weeks of OTAs are voluntary, the hope is that everyone would be able to participate or be there. One player that has some questions about their participation is starting safety Jordan Poyer.
Poyer joined the team in 2017 and was one of the first free agents Sean McDermott signed, along with Micah Hyde. These two have developed into one of the top safety duos in the NFL.
However, Poyer is entering the final year of his contract and hired a new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, this offseason. According to Tim Graham, Rosenhaus told him at the beginning of April that he has approached the Bills about a new contract and that Poyer would like to stay in Buffalo.
The reason this is a question is due to the fact that Jordan Poyer did not participate in the voluntary workouts last month. These were voluntary, as are the OTAs, but it is noteworthy as Drew Rosenhaus did not have a comment when asked by John Wawrow of the Associated Press if Poyer’s absence was tied to his desire for a new contract.
Drew Rosenhaus on whether his client, Jordan Poyer, not being present for start of Bills voluntary workouts is connected to his desire to land a contract extension:
— John Wawrow 🤷♂️ (@john_wawrow) April 20, 2022
"No comment at this time."
If Jordan Poyer is not there, this presents a big opportunity for Jaquan Johnson or Damar Hamlin to get some time alongside Micah Hyde and with the starters.
Ken Dorsey begins implementing his offense
One of the biggest changes this offseason for the Buffalo Bills was on their coaching staff as Brian Daboll moved on to become the head coach of the New York Giants. The coaching staff was able to keep some familiarity with the role as they hired Ken Dorsey, who had previously been quarterback coach, as the new offensive coordinator.
While Dorsey probably would like to keep a lot of things the same, since it worked so well, there will certainly be new wrinkles to this offense. The Bills also will have a number of new players to incorporate into this offense like Jamison Crowder, O.J. Howard and rookies James Cook and Khalil Shakir.
It is never easy to have to make changes on the coaching staff and while the learning curve shouldn’t be as steep for the Buffalo Bills, it will be interesting to see what is added this year to the offense.
New look defensive line for the Buffalo Bills
One position group that saw the most change this offseason is the defensive line. The Bills moved on from Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler, and Efe Obada over the past few months.
General manager Brandon Beane has done a good job of restocking the line with players like Von Miller, DaQuan Jones, and Tim Settle as well as bringing back Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips, two players who had career years with the Bills previously.
The hope is that the defensive line not only will be better at getting pressure on the quarterback but also slowing down the run, which both were problems at different points last season.
McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier have always liked rotating players regularly during the course of the game and this will give the coaching staff some time to see what combinations work best.
Cornerback depth chart
Of the positions on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, the one that is probably the most unsettled entering OTAs is cornerback.
At the top of the depth chart is obviously former All-Pro corner Tre’Davious White. However, he is working his way back from an ACL injury last season. The hope is that he will be back to start the season but there is a chance that he might need more time.
If that is the case, both starting spots at cornerback will be up for grabs and there are a number of players that could find their way into those spots. The hope would be that it would be first round pick Kaiir Elam and Dane Jackson, who started in place of Tre’Davious White after his injury.
After these two are a bunch of relatively unproven players at the position that includes Siran Neal, Cam Lewis, Olaijah Griffin, Nick McCloud, Christian Benford, Travon Fuller, Ja’Marcus Ingram, and Tim Harris.
This is one position to watch closely through OTAs and into training camp as it could have plenty of changes between now and the start of the season.