1. Timeline on solidifying the offensive line
The Bills are going into year two of an offensive line group that was upgraded last offseason. At the start of this season, the Bills will bring back four out of the five starters. Last year's starting right guard Jon Feliciano tore his pec last month. Buffalo brought in talented and competitive players this offseason and the team has good depth throughout the offensive line. One of Brian Daboll's jobs in training camp is plugging in the best players on the right side of this offensive line. Daboll said it was important to solidify the right side of the line, but he still wanted to give every lineman a chance to compete.
"I think it's important," Daboll said. "Right now, in training camp, we're going to mix and match because you need flexibility in this line. It's rare that you go through a whole season where it's just the same five guys. We're still in the process of making sure we're giving everybody an opportunity to go out there and put their best foot forward. Position flexibility is important for any team and particularly on an offensive line position. You can't have enough guys that do multiple things, so we'll figure this thing out here soon enough."
2. Stephen Hauschka will be missed in Buffalo
Bills special teams coordinator Heath Farwell and former Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka have a lot of history together. They were teammates from 2011 to 2014, won a Super Bowl together and Farwell was one of his coaches in Seattle in 2016. Moving on from Hauschka was not an easy thing to do and Farwell wishes him all the best. Farwell explained how he knows what it's like to go through that and why he has a lot of empathy for him.
"He's been great, he's had a great career here, and has been great on and off the field," Farwell added. "It's unfortunate, it's a guy I played with for a long time and had a lot of history with him. In this game, it's, cliche but it's part of the business and I understand it. I have more empathy than most, I've been cut twice so I understand what it's like to get cut … I know it's really tough on Steve. We're hoping the best for him I know he'll be taken at some point this season for another team. But that's just part of the deal with this business, it goes full circle. I have more sympathy for any of these players, it's a tough business, it's a tough road and like I said I've been through it and I'm there for him as much as I can be."
3. DC believes decision-making has improved for Josh Allen
Bills assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier offered up his point of view when it comes to Josh Allen's progress at the quarterback position. Frazier has an interesting point of view because is his job is to shut down opposing offenses, and he has seen Allen every day in practice since he was drafted. Frazier said that what he's noticed about Allen is an improvement when it comes to his decision making.
"The thing I have noticed with his decision making is that it's what you thought it would be going into his third season," Frazier explained. "He's grown so much in that area with protecting the football and making good decisions. Knowing whether to throw the ball downfield or take the check down or throwing it away versus taking a sack. That's a big part of quarterback play and we're trying so hard on defense to create negative plays and he's making good decisions which makes it hard for us to create those negative plays. So that's one of the things I've seen from a growth standpoint and kudos to him and the offensive coaching staff."
