Heading into this year's training camp, nearly half of the Buffalo Bills' 91-man roster is filled with newcomers.
With so much turnover from free agency, to draft picks, to UDFA's this offseason, there's a lot to be excited about what these roster additions can provide on the field. Training camp is an important step in the process of gearing up for the 2024 season, but the work and team-bonding has been put in motion long before arriving at St. John Fisher.
Because of how many new additions are on the roster this year, the Bills emphasized leadership and team culture during OTAs and minicamp to put themselves in the best position heading into training camp.
We're taking a look at just some of the ways they went about it.
Josh Allen's evolving leadership style
For any Super Bowl contending team, leadership starts at the quarterback position. It's no different with the Bills QB1 in Josh Allen who, entering his seventh NFL season, is constantly adapting and finding the best way to ignite chemistry within the offense.
This year, that starts with getting loud.
"Josh is one of those guys that will do what it takes at that moment. He's definitely a barker when that time comes. I've actually seen the barking a lot more this OTAs where he's been very, very verbal, because our team is different," LT Dion Dawkins said on The Herd earlier this month.
After offseason departures of veterans Mitch Morse, Gabe Davis, and Stefon Diggs, it's Allen and Dawkins who have the most experience among the returning players on offense.
"It's different. We've got some young dudes that, when they come in, they see a little bit of success, and they can change, so Josh is doing exactly what he should," the Pro Bowl LT added.
With WR Khalil Shakir being the only returning wide receiver that has caught a pass from Allen, the Bills QB made sure to put in extra work on and off the field during OTAs and Minicamp to get to know his new receiving core.
That work continued even when the team went on their summer break. Shortly after the 4th of July, Allen invited every Bills receiver, tight end and running back out to Nashville for a few days to train and run through plays together. An Instagram post from Josh Allen showed over 15 players in attendance.
"Tightening that bond," was how TE Dalton Kincaid described the trip. "You want that from your quarterback, (Allen) has stepped into those shoes and done a great job."
Making an impact
When the Bills returned for the start of the offseason workouts in mid-April, one of Sean McDermott's initiatives was for the team to find new ways to reach the Western New York community.
Because of the influx of new arrivals — many of whom had never been to Buffalo before — the Bills HC saw it as an important part of this year's journey to get the entire team (including coaches) to come together for a day of community impact.
During one of their OTA days, the Bills split up into groups and went to surprise 12 local schools with activities ranging from garden planting, gymnasium games, Q&A sessions and more.
McDermott said the day was about "giving our players an opportunity to get out in the community in local schools to take their helmets off and let these students see them and make that connection."
"We gonna lift this community, we gonna be here for the community," Dawkins said that day.
Buffalo also supported local high school girls flag football teams Bishop Kearney and Clarence during their playoffs earlier this summer. Bishop Kearney won the first-ever Division 2 New York State Championship and Clarence won the regional championship for Division 1.
The Bills personally invited both schools out to attend a Minicamp practice and then surprised them with a state champs jersey.
"Seeing a close practice and seeing all the facilities, it was just amazing," said Greta Brezenski, Bishop Kearney's QB.
Let's play 18
The Bills continued to grow closer as a team throughout the offseason with several friendly competitions, including the always-anticipated team golf outing.
This year, it just so happened to fall on Josh Allen's 28 birthday, so the QB had to make sure it was a birthday to remember.
Allen's scramble team consisting of OC Joe Brady, QBs Mitch Trubisky and Shane Buchelle took home this year's trophy, taking down last year's champions which was the special teams unit.
"He shot like 70 or something," rookie WR Keon Coleman said about Allen in an interview with CBS Sports.
The Bills video crew got a behind-the-scenes look at the team's golf outing, including great comradery between the offensive line, wide receivers and special teams units.
