Biggest Overreaction Bills Fans Should Avoid After Week 1 of Training Camp

After several months without football, every one of us can be guilty of overreacting once teams are back on the field. That's especially easy to do when a team undergoes some big changes, which is the case with the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo moved on from Sean McDermott after nine years with him as the head coach and Joe Brady enters his first season running the team. He has a whole new staff which includes offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Leonhard's arrival is the one that's brought the most excitement. He's an up-and-coming young assistant who has future head coach written all over him. Not only is it exciting to see him put a new defensive scheme together, but there are also several new players who are excelling under Leonhard. The only issue with this is that it's easy to overreact to all of these moves, especially early during training camp.

Which overreaction must Bills fans avoid?

TCU Horned Frogs linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr reacts after a defensive play against the Colorado Buffaloes. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During the first week of camp, rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr has been an absolute stud. The fourth-round pick out of TCU took advantage of the absence of Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, and was on the field with the first team. He not only looked comfortable with the starters, but was able to make several plays that stood out. Leonhard even singled out Elarms-Orr as one of the top stars during Week 1, saying the rookie "doesn't blink."

As good as it is to see Elarms-Orr shine, fans shouldn't overreact. As of now, the Bills have been practicing without pads, meaning the rookie has yet to show he can hold his own when going against NFL physicality. That said, there's nothing wrong with being pleasantly surprised about Elarms-Orr. It's also perfectly normal to want to see him push for a starting spot.

That said, he is still a player who was selected on Day 3 and had questions about his instincts during his collegiate days. Buffalo very easily may have unearthed a gem with Elarms-Orr, but he still has some ground to cover before being anointed as the next star at the linebacker position.

Bills LB depth could still be a concern

Buffalo Bills linebacker Keonta Jenkins after the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The real question that needs to be answered in Buffalo is whether the team is confident in its depth at the inside linebacker position. Bernard and Williams are most likely going to be the starters in Week 1, and Elarms-Orr is in line to be the primary backup.

Second-year player Keonta Jenkins has also put together a strong camp, making a case for himself as a key role player. Throw in Joe Andreesen and there are some promising players, but very few proven commodities.

That's why, even with the ascension of Elarms-Orr, linebacker might still be a concern. Of course, we shouldn't overreact that way either. Instead, we should pay attention to how each of these players look next week when the pads come on.

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