With Jim Kelly's 32nd Celebrity Golf Classic on the horizon and the current Bills finishing their second week of OTAs, there was plenty of interesting dialogue on 'One Bills Live' this week.
'One Bills Live' with John Murphy and Steve Tasker airs weekdays 12 noon – 3 pm on WGR Radio and MSG.
Here's a list of six things you may have missed on the show this week:
1. BILLS NEWCOMERS SENSE ENERGY AROUND THE TEAM
Sean McDermott's culture change efforts produced dividends last year and the change appears to be continuing. Center Russell Bodine, a free agent signee from Cincinnati, says after just seven weeks at One Bills Drive, the energy and positive vibes around the team are contagious.
"We played the Bills when I was with the Bengals and you see the fan base," said Bodine. "You see the energy behind the team, you talk to the coaches here, and how focused they are on winning and having that positive energy in the building. The way everybody works and the way people are trying to push towards the same goal. Those are the things that kinda get you excited."
2. DABOLL'S OFFENSE LOOKS DIVERSE, MULTIPLE
After two weeks of OTAs, the Buffalo defense has had a look at offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's new offense. And veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander is impressed so far.
"We're very multiple in what we do," he said. "We're going to have a lot of different things to attack teams this year and it's going to be more so just game-planning. And in the NFL today I think that's what you want to do, attack people where they are weak at and be multiple."
3. NEW OFFENSE, TWO NEW QBS, GOOD START
Daboll has his hands full trying to install a new offense this spring and trying to develop Josh Allen into a franchise quarterback for the future. But Daboll says his first few months of work have been aided by good chemistry in the quarterback meeting room.
"All three of these guys are a pleasure to work with – they're professionals," Daboll told the show. "They're different ages, different experiences, but they handle things the right way. They come prepared, they try to learn from their mistakes and they can take the coaching, which is what you love as a coach."
"The room is a great room to be a part of," Daboll added. "Nate is a really nice person – he's smart but he's very even-keeled. A.J. has a little bit of fire. Josh is a young player that is just trying to get his feet wet, learn and do things the right way as a young rookie player."
**
- WHITE WON'T LACK ATTENTION MUCH LONGER**
Second year cornerback Tre'Davious White went on NFL Network this week to tease their talent about his omission from a list of the top second year players in the league. But White's teammate on the other side of the Buffalo defense, veteran cornerback Vontae Davis says Tre will be noticed—sooner rather than later.
"He's a good kid. He listens. He's full of energy," Davis told the show. He's also a good player. I think he can be one of the best in the league one day. He's way ahead of where I was when I was that age."
5. NATIONAL NFL REPORTER EXPECTS JOSH ALLEN TO GET PLENTY OF STARTS
There's plenty of speculation about the NFL's five first round quarterback draft picks this spring—which one will start for his team; who will be the first to start, etc. Jason La Canfora, a longtime NFL reporter with CBS Sports, thinks Buffalo's Josh Allen will get eight or nine starts for the Bills in his rookie year.
La Canfora visited Bills OTA workouts this week, and appearing on One Bills Live Thursday, he said the best way for Allen to develop is to play.
"I think they're going to want to see Josh Allen sooner than later," La Canfora said. "And I think he's so heady and he's so smart and mature that they're gonna say, 'We don't think we're going to taint his long term development by cracking him.' I don't think he's fragile. I don't think a bad rookie season is going to torpedo his career."
6. BERMAN APPLAUDS PLAN TO RETIRE THURMAN'S NUMBER
Longtime ESPN anchor and Bills supporter Chris Berman will be in Buffalo this weekend for Jim Kelly's 32nd Celebrity Golf Classic. And he may be back in town in late October, when the Bills host the Patriots on Monday Night Football and the team honors Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas by retiring his number 34.
Berman says the jersey retirement is a fitting tribute to Thomas, who he says is often over-looked as an all-time great. According to 'Boomer,' Thurm was among the toughest backs to ever play the position.
"I don't think he gets the acclaim nationally about how tough he was," Berman said Tuesday on One Bills Live."We can read statistics and he ranks with so many of the greats. But how tough and how willing to just, 'Give it to me again, send me out for another pass, let me throw a block.' I don't think the nation knows how tough he was."
