The Buffalo Bills welcomed new safety Amani Hooker into the building on Wednesday. The team had a walk-through practice in the afternoon, giving Hooker his first chance to hit the practice field in Western NY.

General manager Brandon Beane's move to bolster the defense before the trade deadline left a ripple effect throughout the building. The excitement surrounding the back half of the season is palpable, with Wednesday kicking it off.

"The opportunity here is tremendous, and it's exciting," Hooker said. "To be in this position with a contender, it's a dream come true. I've always wanted to be in this position."

Sitting at 7-1 halfway through the season, Beane's choice to make a move to improve the team was much to the delight of his players.

"The belief is there, and going out and adding the guy who leads the league in interceptions right now, that's something that anybody's going to be happy about," QB Josh Allen said. "Our front office did what they did, and we're extremely excited to have him.

"We're trying to get him as in tune with our culture. Obviously, the defensive scheme, that'll come, but making sure that he's feeling a part of the team as quickly as possible and feeling like a Buffalo Bill."

Head coach Joe Brady shares the excitement his players do, happy to have a new difference-maker in the building. Currently leading the NFL in interceptions with five, Hooker brings an impressive ball-hawking skill set and mind with him from Tennessee.

"Obviously, he has a knack for finding the football; It always starts with that," Brady said. "He's a really savvy football player that can play a lot of different roles in the back end… just talking to him, the limited times I've been able to get communication the last couple days, you can just see his football intelligence.

"He's a cerebral guy, he feels like he'd be able to pick up the system fast and be able to kind of go with it, and you kind of see that with the way that he plays… I feel like his personality is gonna be a great fit for us."

For the 28-year-old, his focus is on learning defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's scheme as fast as possible. Brady left the door open to Hooker potentially suiting up for the Bills Week 10 matchup against the New York Jets, hoping that he's able to learn the defense quickly enough to play a role on Sunday.

Currently in the middle of his eighth season at the NFL level, Hooker is confident in his ability to be ready come kickoff on Nov. 15.

"He's played a lot of football. Sometimes it's just about learning the terminology," Brady said. "… We'll just take it day by day and see how much he can process and how fast he can, and what he can handle to be able to go out there on the road and be able to communicate."

Wednesday's walkthrough was the first chance for Hooker to be out getting reps, with his teammates taking notice of his veteran mind. S Cole Bishop was fired up by the trade to pick up a starting safety opposite him, ready to get to work with his new running mate.

"He impressed me today with how quickly he was able to pick some things up," Bishop said. "I'm excited to get out there with him. I think obviously every game and every practice will get more comfortable, but I think we'll be in a good spot… It's just time on task, reps in the meeting room, watching tape together during the walkthroughs, during practice and then obviously in the games, just continuing to stack those reps."

As much as he'll need to learn the X's and O's, Hooker knows it's just as important to learn how Bishop and the rest of his new teammates operate and communicate.

"You have to have really one brain, because if you don't, that's when miscommunication happens," Hooker said. "And usually if there is a play that's given up, it's probably because the safeties were probably not communicating. So it's very important that we stay connected.

"It's all about trust, trust and communication. I mean, that's just like life in general. You're married, you're best friends, and there's no communication; if there's not trust, then things are gonna slip through the cracks."

Even early on, Hooker can feel a different energy in Buffalo, playing for a team with Super Bowl expectations and a passionate fan base to match.

"I'm going through the airport, and everyone has Bills shirts on," Hooker said. "I can just really feel the love here for the team."

He's intent on doing all he can to get himself ready to be a gamechanger for the Bills, ready to put in the overtime over the next week leading up to game day in Week 10.

"Oh, I'm going to play on Sunday," Hooker said. "Yeah, I'll be ready to go."

Wednesday Injury Report

The Bills had a walk-through practice on Wednesday, not practicing in pads to begin the week. T Dion Dawkins (rib) and OL Alec Anderson (ankle) were both limited participants after missing the Week 9 win over the Vikings.

"It's going to be nice to get back out there; I miss playing with the boys," Anderson said. "… It was sad not to play. But we got the [win], and so I'm excited to get back out there this week."

CB Christian Benford (wrist), T Spencer Brown (back), TE Dalton Kincaid (ankle) and C Connor McGovern (neck) were also limited. DL Greg Gaines (calf), DL T.J. Sanders (shoulder), G Ar'maj Reed-Adams (back/elbow), DB Jordan Hancock (hamstring - IR) and WR Tyrell Shavers (knee - PUP) were all full participants.