PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Here are my five takeaways after the third day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University:
1. In as touching a moment as any in recent Bills history, Kim Pegula, holding the hand of her husband, Bills and Sabres owner Terry, slowly walked onto the field after Friday’s practice to be part of the break-down that ends each workout.
This marked her most visible public appearance by the former president of the Bills and Sabres since surviving a cardiac arrest in June, 2022. A video on the Bills’ X account captured her raising her left hand with coach Sean McDermott, Dion Dawkins, Josh Allen and the rest of the team as Allen said, “Bills on three! One. Two. Three. Bills!”
There was something uplifting and a little bit sad about watching Kim, 55, as she and Terry walked from the SUV parked behind one of the end zones as the players finished their post-practice stretching nearby.
The uplifting part is that she had spent last year’s camp only watching practice from the front seat of the SUV. She was present but apart from the fans and media with whom she had graciously interacted before suffering what her daughter, Jessica, described in an article written for The Players’ Tribune as a “brain injury” resulting from a lack of oxygen to Kim’s brain.
That’s the sad part.
Kim had been a dynamic and vibrant presence for the Bills, as well as a key figure among NFL club owners by serving on multiple committees, including Super Bowl/major events and business ventures. She was far more the face and voice of ownership than her husband has ever been for either the Bills or Sabres. Players and staffers who weren’t part of the team before the 2022 season don’t know that version of Kim Pegula.
Her condition has left a major void in the Pegula sports organization.
2. It isn’t a surprise that Bobby Babich has found a noticeable adjustment going from position coach to defensive coordinator this year.
Given how animated he was while previously guiding the Bills’ linebackers and safeties, Babich finds himself himself with a bit of a dilemma as the overseer of the entire defense.
“Not knowing what to do with my hands,” he said Friday when asked about the biggest difference in his new role. “I love being in the mud with these guys. I love individual. It’s my favorite part of practice. I think that’s where you can do your most growth and it sets you up for the rest of practice, the way you put in the work and master your details and the techniques.”
McDermott still hasn’t said who will call the defensive signals, something the head coach handled with great success last season. He and Babich are sharing signal-calling in camp. The guess here is McDermott will hang onto the assignment this season while Babich gains more experience as a DC.
3. For the first time since 2017, the Bills have open competition at safety.
With Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer no longer on the team, the Bills are in search of a new duo. That’s a big deal, given how well Hyde and Poyer held down the back end of the defense for so long.
Now, the Bills have one safety spot secured by Taylor Rapp. The other is up for grabs, with Mike Edwards, Damar Hamlin and rookie Cole Bishop the main competitors.
What are the Bills looking for from their safeties?
“The ability to take control of the defense with confidence and to have the people in front of them feel great about that communication,” Babich said. “And then, secondly, you gotta make plays. This is the NFL. It’s a make or miss league. Like you either make the play or you don’t. And so when it comes down to it, you gotta be able to make plays and to help the Bills win. So, as coaches, we’ve gotta put guys on the field that are gonna put this team in position by being able to make plays.”
That would seemingly be an endorsement for Hamlin, who has turned heads with playmaking he has done in offseason workouts as well as in camp so far. Still, Edwards would figure to have the edge when it comes to command and the ability to communicate with the rest of the defense, something Bishop lacks as a rookie.
4. The Bills have a committee of receivers trying to fill the major gap left by the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
The leader of the group is eighth-year veteran Curtis Samuel, who likes what he sees and hears in the team’s receiver room.
“I feel like everybody complements each other so well,” Samuel said. “I feel like everybody has a skill set that we utilize to the best of our ability. And we’re going to make things happen. You can’t key on (anybody).
“Me, I’m more of a guy that leads by example. I’m not too vocal. You know, if guys ask, I give them my input, but I try to just lead by example … and show guys how to do things the right way.”
5. The fun-loving personality that made Keon Coleman instantly popular with fans when the Bills introduced their second-round draft pick last April has been on display since the start of camp. So has his immense self-confidence.
What has been the receiver's favorite part of camp?
“Catching touchdowns,” he said.
Coleman said he was “grateful to be a fan favorite,” adding that he’s just hoping to “put on a show for them and execute and do my job on the field.”
He dismissed the notion that he’s still trying to figure things out about the NFL game as a rookie. Why?
“I’ve been studying. Simple as that,” Coleman said. “I kind of know what's going on. I ain't gonna kind of know. I pretty much know what's going on. So, I’m confident that I'm going to know what's going on when I hear the calls, get the calls, and I’m going to line up and do my job.”
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