A Look at Bills' Agenda for OTAs
For a team that made it to the second round of the playoffs last season and is the betting favorite to go all the way this coming one, the Bills sure have had quite a bit of turnover.
Hence, getting all those new pieces moving in the same direction will be a main priority during Organized Team Activities (OTAs), a series of 10 voluntary practices that run periodically from May 23 through June 10.
A three-day mandatory minicamp will follow starting on June 14.
The most celebrated newcomer is edge rusher Von Miller, and the way he's deployed in this defense could be the most anticipated component of these camps.
Miller has said he can be effective rushing the quarterback as a defensive end or any of the linebacker spots, but he's spent the bulk of his career as a linebacker rushing from a two-point stance.
Though he's listed as a linebacker on Buffalo's roster, he's not going to be taking the place of either Tremaine Edmunds or Matt Milano, the starting linebackers in their 4-2 base.
But is it possible the Bills adjust their defense to show some odd-man fronts, which would call for an extra linebacker even when they're in nickel?
This will be interesting to watch, to say the least.
Another aspect will be the new offensive weapons at quarterback Josh Allen's disposal. New wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Khalil Shakir are in, and Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders are out.
Running back James Cook is in and Matt Breida is out.
And tight end O.J. Howard has been added to give the Bills a chance to diversify their personnel packages.
At quarterback, Case Keenum is in as the backup and Mitchell Trubisky is out.
The Bills will have at least one new starting cornerback on opening day, following the loss of Levi Wallace to free agency. And they could have two if Tre'Davious White hasn't completely recovered from last November's ACL tear.
That's where first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam and sixth-round pick Christian Benford come in. How ready will they be?
Finally, we go back to the offense, which will have at least three starters on the line who weren't in those spots at the start of last season.
Newcomer Rodger Saffold is expected to start at left guard, with Ryan Bates at right guard and Spencer Brown at right tackle. Bates and Brown started last season as reserves.
Lots of new moving bodies, plenty of work to do.
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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
