The Buffalo Bills have had three days of training camp so far, and they will have practices both today and tomorrow. There is a limited sample size on how each different unit will look, but it’s the coaching staff that will need to ultimately decide what the strengths and weaknesses are.
Up to this point, the biggest storyline so far up at St. John Fisher University for the Bills is when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a lower leg injury which many people feared that he had a torn achilles. Luckily, it was just a lower calf strain, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, so they managed to avoid losing him for the whole season.
As the intensity of training camp starts to pick up, and then eventually we get preseason games, fans will get a better sense of who will shine, and who could be on the roster bubble. However, Alaina Getzenberg from ESPN was able to provide some intel about Buffalo’s training camp that could be either exciting, or concerning depending on how you look at it.
Bills' intel shows more involvement from RB unit in passing attack
According to Getzenberg, the running back room that consist of James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis have been “noticeably more involved as pass catchers in practices”.
"The running backs room -- James Cook III, Ty Johnson and Ray Davis -- has been noticeably more involved as pass catchers in practices, which is something to keep an eye on if that production increases this season." said Getzenberg.
Now that it’s Joe Brady running the show, we could very well be in for some schemes that we didn’t see when Sean McDermott was in charge. At the end of the day, Brady may have been the offensive coordinator, but McDermott was the one that had to approve of everything. Now with Brady in charge, we could see more things on the offensive side unlocked than we have in the past.
Bills' RB involvement in passing attack could be good (or bad)
From a versatility aspect, having the running backs more involved in the passing game could open up the playbook more to throw defenses off balance. Cook is already one of the best backs in the game, but he’s known more for hitting the open lanes on the ground and taking off. Ty Johnson is more of a third-down back who can do it all, just not at the level as Cook. As for Davis, his specialty has been found as a kick returner on special teams.
If Brady is able to get the running backs more involved in the passing game, and it works, then no fans should be upset. At the same time, if Bills fans see a trend where the running backs are getting more targets than the receivers, there are going to be some very frustrated fans.
Especially when you consider the fact that the Bills went out and traded for DJ Moore, and drafted Skyler Bell in the 4th round. In addition, tight end Dalton Kincaid is looking to prove that he deserves a long-term deal with the Bills.
The Bills’ offense should have a good amount of continuity because Brady will still be calling the plays, even though Pete Carmichael Jr. is the offensive coordinator. Changes should be coming for the better, but getting the running backs more involved could be a game-changer for better or for worse. Only time will tell.
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