ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — 1. State of Stefon
After the bizarre circumstances of last June’s mandatory minicamp, with Stefon Diggs not on the field for the first day of practice and Sean McDermott saying he was “very concerned” about the receiver’s absence, it’s a given that whatever Diggs says or does in training camp will be closely monitored.
McDermott would like us to believe that the yet-to-be-revealed cause of Diggs’ departure from the facility the morning of that first minicamp workout has been resolved. After dancing around the nature of Diggs’ issue(s) beyond saying it related to “teamwork,” Josh Allen later dismissed the whole thing as being overblown by the media.
Sorry, guys. It won’t go away quite that easily.
There will be more than casual interest in what Diggs has to say, presuming he addresses the media in camp. And it would be wise for the Bills to schedule that with him as early as possible. Diggs might be able to put it to rest with words, though his actions, on the practice field and in games during the season, will likely speak louder.
If, as has been reported, he didn’t/doesn’t feel he had/has enough of a voice in the direction of the offense, there might be some indications of where that stands during camp practices. Ken Dorsey already is feeling the heat in his second season as offensive coordinator, especially with the offense’s decline through the second half of last season and into the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if there are any noticeable wrinkles being incorporated.
2. Competition for starting MLB
With Tremaine Edmunds having bolted to Chicago in free agency, there’s a “vacancy” sign on the Bills’ starting middle linebacker spot.
There doesn’t seem to necessarily be an obvious replacement, which means an intriguing battle will take place among Tyrell Dodson, Terrel Bernard, A.J. Klein, Baylon Spector, and Dorian Williams.
The Bills presumably would like to see Bernard, their third-round draft pick last year, emerge as a winner. But McDermott could feel more comfortable leaning on greater experience because the middle linebacker is responsible for relaying the signals McDermott will be called now that the head coach has taken on the additional duties of defensive coordinator. In that case, Dodson or Klein could get the nod early on before a transition to Bernard.
3. Competition for No. 2 CB
The headline here really should be, are the Bills ready to trust Kaiir Elam to start opposite Tre’Davious White?
After joining the team as a first-round draft pick last year, Elam struggled. It might be too early to call him a bust, but he does need to show progress this summer or the label might very well begin to fit.
Meanwhile, Dane Jackson and Christian Benford will have a chance to make the case they are more trustworthy to do the job.
4. What the D looks like with Sean McDermott at the controls
There are obvious limits to strategic elements the Bills or any team will show during open camp practices. Nevertheless, it’ll be fascinating to see how the defense looks with Leslie Frazier out and McDermott in as DC.
There has been a considerable narrative that McDermott will bring a more aggressive approach to the scheme’s design and with his defensive calls. Will that mean less of the two- and three-deep zone coverage meant minimize deep throws but vulnerable to everything else? Will that mean more blitzing? Will that mean more single coverage to allow for more pass rushers to get after the quarterback? Will that mean a greater variety of fronts and coverages to keep opposing quarterbacks guessing?
We might get a few clues at St. John Fisher.
5. Will O’Cyrus Torrence establish himself as an immediate RG starter?
The Bills made Torrence their second-round draft pick from Florida with the full intention of having him become a long-time fixture on the line. The only question is, when will he become a starter?
He and Ryan Bates will be the primary candidates to start at right guard. Torrence figures to have the edge as both a pass protector, where he was an exception in college and against top-level SEC competition last season, and a run-blocker, where he showed dominance with his tremendous size (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) and strength. That could be just what the Bills’ underwhelming run game needs.
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