ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Mandatory minicamp was the first time we saw Rasul Douglas on the practice field for the Buffalo Bills since the end of last season.
The defensive back was not in Orchard Park for the voluntary portion of the offseason, a decision he explained the reasoning behind at minicamp.
“If you know athletes and like the mindset that you have to be in during the season, you can’t be in that the whole time, so you’ve got to take a break from it,” Douglas said.
“We miss so many funerals, birthdays, all types of events. Like, we’re all human, so sometimes I feel like we just need to take away, take a deep breath, and just be thankful for what God blessed you with, the family that you’re with, and just spend some time with them. Also, to get your mind healthy, happy.”
For Douglas, the time away the facility was an important opportunity to recharge the batteries before the grind of the season, and a decision he communicated with Bills' staff.
“Mandatory (minicamp) you come back, take the month that they give you off for July, and then once you get back, you’re locked and loaded on ‘I’m here until I’m not here,’” Douglas said. “That’s just what my mindset is and I kind of went over that with the coaches, explained it to them even last year in the exit meeting. Then this year I talked them through how I was going to do it, to make sure I was prepared to be back.”
With the 29-year-old back on the field for minicamp, it marked his first offseason practices as a Buffalo Bill, after joining the team midway through last year following a trade from Green Bay.
He made an immediate impact, with four interceptions in nine games.
“I’m trying to do better than what I did last year, and more games definitely helps that,” Douglas said.
His production was made more impressive by the fact, he didn’t have a full grasp of the defense when he was on the field.
“Low key, last year, I just came in and listened to whatever (Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer) said,” Douglas said. "If I'm being honest, if they just looked at me and told me I could jump something, I just did it."
Understanding the defense, then, is understandably a major goal this offseason.
“Just learning, actually learning the playbook and not just what we were doing for that gameplan,” Douglas said. “I didn’t know what everyone else was doing, I just know (Poyer) told me I had that person so I was guarding that person so now I’m kind of learning what the linebackers do. What the d-line do, where I’m going to get my help from.”
Douglas is in a contract year. He says it’s something he’s not worried about.
But with an offseason of re-charging and really learning the Bills defense, he does have a personal goal in mind for this season.
“I think every great athlete, or who wants to be great, has their own goals,” Douglas said. “Then you also have team goals, but just actually like a Pro Bowl or All-Pro… so I’m looking forward to that.”