ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — For years the Buffalo Bills have credited continuity as one of the reasons for their consistent success. But it became apparent that success had reached it's ceiling and something different needed to be done.
That brings us to the 2024 season where the roster have gone through a significant amount of turnover. On Tuesday, reporters were allowed to watch practice for the first time this season and there were a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball.
"I think it's an opportunity number one, a chance to grow as a leader, to grow as a teammate and rely on some other guys that maybe haven't been around but have a lot of experience in the NFL," quarterback Josh Allen said. "This is a time in the offseason where you get to know guys on a deeper level and get to know where they come from and what makes them tick. So, it's always a fun experience."
Watching practice with no Stefon Diggs, Jordan Poyer, Gabe Davis, Micah Hyde, Tre'Davious White, or Mitch Morse will take some getting used to. The coaching staff feels the same way, but they are trying to embrace the challenge.
"I mean, it’s hard to see," head coach Sean McDermott said on Tuesday. "The older, the guys who have since moved on, that's hard to see, right. But it's part of a necessary part of our business. But the new faces, getting those players up to speed, there's kind of a new excitement around, new energy. Having to tell players how to get to the cafeteria, how to get to where the team meeting room, some of it’s first day of school type stuff. I've been very impressed with, number one the attendance that we've had."
"Well, I think for some cases it's kind of a clean slate, just kind of come out here. We like to talk about no year is the same as the year prior, right? But especially in this case," Allen added. "I'm just approaching it as best as I can is, as the best leader, as the best teammate that I can be here for the Buffalo Bills and ultimately the best quarterback that I can be."
So who stood out during the first practice of OTAs and what did we learn from the next phase of the offseason? Matt Bove and Bree Aldridge share their key takeaways at the top of the page.
Keaton Bills is another player who stood out during OTAs for a pretty obvious reason. 