WGR

‘”It’s never easy,” Dawkins said with Jeremy White on WGR, Wednesday morning. “It’s definitely harder because we have a whole new offense. It’s not like we’re coming in with the same playbook, so it’s a totally different life. [We’re] taking it just day-by-day.”‘

‘Clay knew Sean McDermott from their days in Carolina, so he knew what to expect from him, but that doesn’t make moving around any easier, “It was difficult,” Clay said. “But its part of the business, you can never get comfortable and you just have to take advantage of the opportunities that you do have, so I was grateful enough to be here and now I’m grateful to be here again and have a full off-season to learn the playbook.”’

‘In total, there will be 14 practices at St. John Fisher, with the opener a 5:30 p.m. start. There will be one night practice at New Era Field, and one late afternoon practice at the ADPRO Sports Training Center in Orchard Park.’

‘QB Nathan Peterman was the main QB with the starters throughout the practice and had a very good day. He made several terrific passes, including two in a row where he had to drop the ball over a defender and into a wide receivers’ arms as he was running downfield or towards the sideline.’

‘It seems like LeSean McCoy never drops off in his performance despite turning 30 next month. McDermott knows McCoy from when they both spent time in Philadelphia. He said the running back never fails to impress him, “Just to watch his habits off the field in terms of the way he takes care of his body and for a runningback to accrue the number of yards and to be as healthy as he’s been for the most part, is really a testament to the way he takes care of his body.”’

‘“We’ll just see,” McDermott said. “It’s a fluid situation. It’s all part of doing what’s best for A, our football team and B, Josh’s development overall. I’m not going to say I’m not going to do it. It’s just what’s the right thing to do at the right time based on our plan? Overall, A.J. and Nate will run with the ones and Josh with the threes.”’

‘Jerry Hughes- What has become of his double digit sack seasons? Hughes played like a man possessed in his first two years with the Bills after coming over in a trade from Indianapolis. He recorded back to back 10 sack campaigns and parlayed that into a big contract. But Hughes’ numbers have been down the last three years.’

‘“It definitely makes you feel good, but you can’t get too caught up in it,” he told me Thursday after just coming off the practice field for the team’s second-to-last OTA. “You can’t just have a feel-good story. You can feel good inside, but if it’s not the result you want then you have to keep working towards that result, and my result was (I wanted) to play on Sundays and I haven’t quite got there yet, and that’s the goal this year.”’

‘The coaches aren’t just working with Allen to make him a better passer. McDermott feels there’s a lot more to it, “In terms of communication, that’s a big part of playing quarterback and it can’t just be with the skill players, it has to be O-linemen, tight ends, they have to all be involved and as a leader, you’ve got to be a man of the people so to speak, so you can’t just be with the people at your position, it’s got to be across the entire team.”’

‘Ramon Humber started at WLB in Milano’s place. The rest of the defense was unchanged from it’s usual self, at least at the very beginning, which included DTs Kyle Williams and Star Loutulelei, DEs Shaq Lawson and Jerry Hughes, SLB Lorenzo Alexander, MLB Tremaine Edmunds, CBs Tre’Davious White and Vontae Davis (outside), CB Phillip Gaines (slot), Safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.’

‘Whether it’s an actual depth chart or what offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calls a “rep chart” for this time of year, here’s how the Bills lined up on the offensive line and across the entire defense Thursday for their OTA.’

‘“You don’t have some of the concerns that you ordinarily would have with most rookies because of that,” Frazier continued about Edmunds. “They’re ability to be able to process information and then be able to handle it in game situations or practice situations at this point it’s pretty impressive. He’s been very impressive in that way; the way he’s handled the classroom, the things that he’s done on the field up to this point, and the way he has kind of meshed with his teammates as well. That’s the other intangible, when you come in, particularly when you’re a first round pick, the veterans are kind of looking at you just trying to get a feel for you. He’s done a great job of kind of blending in with his teammates as well.”’

‘Allen has not been practicing with the first or second units, but Daboll doesn’t think that’s a problem at all, “He’s had plenty of reps. He’s working with the threes right now, but he gets enough opportunity to keep on advancing and progressing in the system, continue in terms of scripting of giving him different plays, putting him in different situations. I think with any young guy, that’s what you need to do in terms of building him from ground level.”’

‘Streater was free to sign with any team, but when the Bills came calling, he knew it was the right spot for him, again. “It meant a lot,” he said of the team thinking enough of him to re-sign him. “It showed that they really cared and really were impressed with what I did last year and I’m just ready to go this year.”’

‘“You’re always competing, no matter who says the starter is,” said Peterman with Howard Simon and Jeremy White on Tuesday morning. “The good thing is that all of us get along pretty well and we talk about the schemes and things easily with each other. Everyone is just trying to do what’s best for the team.’