Following Memorial Day Weekend, the Buffalo Bills are back inside One Bills Drive for the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
Tuesday marked the first day of the OTA period and head coach Sean McDermott spoke to the media ahead of practice. Here are five things we learned.
Attendance check
While the OTA phase of the offseason is not mandatory, McDermott reported strong attendance numbers for the team. All members of the active roster have reported for the week, except for RB James Cook.
"We're staying in touch like you'd expect a player and a coach to do. James will be here when he's ready to be here and we move forward," McDermott shared.
The Bills will lean on RBs Ty Johnson, second-year player Ray Davis and others in practice while Cook is absent.
Bosa to miss OTAs with calf injury
One of the Bills free agent additions to their defense is dealing with an injury and will not be practicing with the team this week. DE Joey Bosa, who signed a one-year deal in March, will be sidelined with a calf injury.
McDermott explained Bosa "pulled a calf" late last week before the holiday weekend while participating in offseason workouts at the facility. Bosa will be out for the "foreseeable springtime" but the edge rusher "should be good to go for training camp".
The head coach added that because the injury popped up so recently, the medical staff is still gathering information on what the full timeline will be.
"Joey was off to a good start before that, so it's unfortunate to see him go down," McDermott added.
On Hard Knocks selection: "It's a real compliment"
Selection criteria for HBO's "Hard Knocks" was overhauled earlier this offseason during NFL league meetings, the most notable change being teams could no longer turn down the show even if they had been to the playoffs the previous season.
With that criteria no longer in place, the NFL and HBO chose the five-consecutive AFC East champions to be featured on the training camp edition of "Hard Knocks". It's the first time the Bills will be featured on the show.
"To some extent, it's a real compliment to them choosing us and selecting our organization now that the criteria has changed," McDermott said. "Number one, our fans, they can get an inside look at what happens... There's a lot that we do that they'll see which I think is great for the fans."
Earlier this month, Buffalo announced that this year's training camp will take place back at St. John Fisher University in Rochester where the team has typically held its camp. The hour trek away from Buffalo and onto a college campus for three weeks has been an integral part of the Bills' culture building process in past seasons. "Hard Knocks" will be another chance for fans to see how the team's tight-knit bonds are forged.
"The opportunity for us to be who we are," the head coach said. "I think it'll offer many a chance to see us beneath the surface and see how that rings true for us day in and day out here."
Bills plan to "play within the rules" in regards to tush push
During NFL owners meetings last week in Minneapolis, teams voted not to ban the 'tush push', keeping the action in which players push or pull a ball carrier forward as a legal football move.
At previous league meetings this offseason, McDermott — who is also on the NFL's Competition Committee — offered explanations as to why he was in favor of banning the play, citing player safety concerns.
Now that the play is allowed for another season, the Bills can still utilize the play as they see fit; Buffalo was one of the most successful teams using the tush push with Josh Allen in 2024. However, McDermott did not explicitly state the team's plan for it this season.
"We'll play within the rules," McDermott said. "The rules have now been set and we always do our best to play within the rules that are set up for us."
Surprise appearance from NBA legend
NBA Hall of Famer Vince Carter made a surprise stop at One Bills Drive Tuesday to watch practice and greet the team. Carter is a member of the Bills limited partner ownership group and sat off to the side during McDermott's press conference before going to observe practice.
"You talk about high-level performers, this is one right here," McDermott said while motioning to Carter. "I'm looking to learn from him as much as anyone."
After practice, Carter took time to greet QB Josh Allen and more members of the team; he later told the local media he was impressed with how high energy the team's practices are this early in the offseason. Referencing Allen specifically, Carter spoke about his admiration for one of the NFL's top QBs and reigning MVP.
"I have a great appreciation for people who've accomplished unbelievable things in their life. And I love when history is in front of me, and (Josh) is a part of history. He's accomplished a lot. I love that for anybody I've met in my life," Carter said.
As Carter continues to be an important presence as a limited partner on the business side, he hopes he can also be a positive resource for Bills players and coaches in their professional careers.
"As I get comfortable, but I just want to be here, like I said, I'm a vessel. I'm an outlet, amongst all the other outlets they have. I'm just another outlet to just to add to their portfolio that they can reach out to," Carter said.
