WGR

‘That meant the starting five looked like this: LT Dion Dawkins, LG Quinton Spain, C Mitch Morse, RG Spencer Long, RT Cody Ford.’

‘“We need to respect what they’ve [the Patriots] been able to do over the number of years they’ve been able to do it for,” McDermott said. “That being said, we need to focus on ourselves. If we want to have a chance to challenge them, it really starts with focusing on ourselves and what we’re trying to get done each and every day at training camp, and how we’re building this team.”’

‘”Our main focus is the fan experience,” said Kearns. “Each year we’re kind of tweaking little things here and there to give our fans the most access and the best fan experience that we can. Whether it’s adding some new elements, some new photo opportunities and things like that, or opening up new areas along the field so that they have better views of practice.”‘

‘Ideally, they’d love to have the unit set and know what they’re looking at by the time the third preseason game rolls around, but they also don’t want to jump the gun and make the wrong decision somewhere. There’s likely to be a heavy rotation throughout camp, especially the first two weeks before they play their first preseason game August 8 against the Indianapolis Colts. We may even see some players rotating every single day between the first and second team, much like last year they did at center with Russell Bodine and Ryan Groy.’

‘“This comes with a territory, I understand that,” Allen said following the first practice at St. John Fisher College. “Listen, I love football, I love what this game entails, I love everything about it. I love being a Buffalo Bill, I love being here in Buffalo. I love this team and I love being a part of this team so that pressure doesn’t really seem so heavy when you think about it that way. When you have guys around you that are going to do their job and that’s where the communication and the comradery and everything that we worked on in OTA kind of applies to camp and we continue to build on that and get into season, it’s very fluid and we got a good thing going here.”’

‘”Brandon [Beane] and I have said it over and over again, we believe in going away to camp,” McDermott said in a press conference with the Bills general manager before Thursday’s practice. “We really appreciate what St. John Fisher means and the campus, the people and the hospitality they extend here to us. As it relates to building our team, it’s important that we can go away and build some fellowship time off the practice field as much as on the practice field and come together as a football team. The gaps in the schedule offer us an opportunity to do that.’

‘”LeSean’s here, he’s part of this team, and we’re looking forward [for him] to be the first guy out to take the first handoff or pass, whatever is called. I think he feels the competition, which is good. Competition is good for everybody. I think the positive is that there’s a lot more competition and depth at [running back] than there was a year ago. He knows what’s ahead of him, he knows he’s got to produce, and I expect that he’ll be able to answer that challenge.”‘

‘It all starts with Allen, who, in theory, has been surrounded by better personnel as he embarks on Year 2 as a Bill. Allen will look to build on what he was able to do in the second half of last season after returning from an elbow injury. It remains to be seen if 11 starts, in addition to the free agent signings and draft picks, will all add up to a better looking Allen. Hopefully, the Bills will have a better running game beyond their quarterback, who ended up leading the team in rushing in 2018. Having the same offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, back for a second season should be a boost.’

‘In his first installment of Howard Picks the Bills on Wednesday, Howard ended up having the Bills going 9-7.’

‘Asiata, selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Utah, played one game for the Dolphins in his rookie year. He was waived prior to the 2018 regular season, but then signed to the team’s practice squad and was promoted to the active roster in early November, playing one game.’

‘Gaine was reportedly interviewed by the Bills for their open general manager job before it was eventually given to Beane.’

‘“I honestly think we’re at a good number right now,” McDermott said about each team playing four exhibition games. “I say that, part of it is probably habit. As long as I’ve been in the league it’s been four. I think somewhere in that three-to-four range, you should know what you’ve got and how you want to shape it coming out of those three-to-four games.”’

‘Allen brings the possibility of the playoffs if he takes a step or two forward.’

‘Coleman got his career started with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 when he was selected in the seventh round (244th overall) out of Ohio St. University. In four seasons with the Eagles, Coleman appeared in 59 games while making 207 combined tackles, forcing two fumbles and making seven interceptions. In his first year with the Eagles, Coleman got the chance to play under the direction of current Bills head coach Sean McDermott when he was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach in Philadelphia.’

‘”He is the most complete receiver in terms of upside and areas of the field he can attack. John Brown can lift coverage vertically, and that will leave routes open underneath that I know Foster can run well.”‘