Jeffrey T. Barnes
Matthew Fairburn | mfairburn@nyup.com
Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills have a plan.
Despite persistent questions and the temptation to see rookie quarterback Josh Allen against better competition, the Bill kept him with the No. 3 offense throughout OTAs. That will likely be the case at minicamp next week as well.
"We'll just see," McDermott said. "It's a fluid situation. It's all part of doing what's best for A, our football team and B, Josh's development overall. I'm not going to say I'm not going to do it. It's just what's the right time based on our plan. Overall, AJ and Nate will run with the ones and Josh with the threes."
That's not to say McDermott won't give Allen a chance to earn those reps. He's just not going to rush it.
"It's early in our process here and we've got a plan, we've got to stick with it,: McDermott said. "Doesn't mean we don't listen and keep put ear to the ground and our eyes peeled for what's going on and adjust according; that's important. The important part right now is to develop a good foundation and that's what we're doing."
The Bills had their final open OTA of the spring on Thursday. Minicamp gets underway next week. Here's what we learned.
Rich Barnes
Peterman on fire
Nathan Peterman took the bulk of the reps with the first-team offense on Thursday and thrived in doing so. He completed 17 of his 21 passes during team drills and looked particularly impressive during the two-minute drill portion of practice. Three of his completions went to Brandon Reilly on Thursday and another three went to Jeremy Kerley. Peterman seemed to be much more decisive with the football than we've seen him in the past.
Ryan Groy getting a shot
Ryan Groy mixed in with the first-team offensive line on Thursday. He and Russell Bodine will be competing for the starting job at center. The rest of the first-team offensive line has looked the same throughout the spring with Dion Dawkins at left tackle, Vlad Ducasse at left guard, John Miller at right guard and Jordan Mills at right tackle.
Jeffrey T. Barnes
Josh Allen update
Because of the nature of the NFL news cycle, every Josh Allen interception seems to become a topic of discussion. Even those interceptions tossed in shorts and t-shirts are of interest. On Thursday, Allen threw an interception but otherwise had a decent day. He completed 10 of his 17 passes with an interception. The interception came on another deeper pass. It's encouraging that Allen doesn't seem to lose much confidence. He continues to push the ball down field and try to make plays with his strong arm. He had impressive completions to Rod Streater, Jason Croom and Austin Proehl during team drills that stood out.
Shaq Lawson fighting for a role
Shaq Lawson sacrificed a few reps to Owa Odoghizuwa at defensive end on Thursday. Trent Murphy still hasn't been cleared for full participation, so Lawson has been getting those reps. But if Odoghizuwa is in the mix to provide depth behind Murphy, it's fair to wonder what the future holds for Lawson. He did kick inside to defensive tackle for a few reps. This is a crucial summer for the 2016 first-round pick after two underwhelming seasons to begin his career. He needs to find a role.
Jeffrey T. Barnes
Sean McDermott impressed by Tremaine Edmunds
Tremaine Edmunds doesn't look like a rookie. Aside from the fact that he stepped right into the first-team defense after the Bills drafted him in the first round, Edmunds is also the perfect blend of size and speed. The reason he hasn't become a bigger topic of conversation is because he's adjusted so smoothly.
"The thing that stands our most with Tremaine is his approach, his serious approach to the game," McDermott said. "He's a student of the game and passionate about the game. Those are good qualities early on here."
Edmunds looks like a guy who will start from day one and deservedly so.
No Matt Milano
Matt Milano mixed practice for an unspecified reason. He had been Edmunds' running mate with the linebacker, but Ramon Humber had to step in on Thursday. Milano has taken great strides as a player, so the Bills will hope he's not on the sideline long.
Stephen B. Morton
Big plays on defense
While the offense made a few splash plays on Thursday, the defense had some moments worth pointing out. Eddie Yarbrough recovered a fumble and had a big return, while Lorenzo Alexander and Marquavius Lewis picked up sacks. Meanwhile, Rafael Bush had an interception and safety L..J McCray stood out in coverage on a few occasions. It's tough for defensive players to stand out without pads on, but those were the guys who shined on Thursday.
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