Buffalo Bills players met with the media on Monday afternoon during their final day at One Bills Drive before beginning the offseason. Players cleaned out their lockers and spoke about the emotions after a devasting loss, why several players would love to be back next season and their thoughts on Joe Brady and Bobby Babich's first season calling the plays.
Here's what we learned:
"Love the team that's been built here": Players share love for the bond they built, react to Chiefs loss
There was a somber feeling in the Bills locker room on Monday on locker clean out day. A number of Bills players spoke to reporters after having time to reflect on their memorable season coming to an end one game short of reaching the Super Bowl.
"It's tough but just trying to come to terms with it," Epenesa said. "There's only gonna be one happy team at the end of every season. We wanted to be us, and we came short this year again."
RB Ty Johnson reiterated Epenesa's response that the team is disappointed they did not make it to the Super Bowl, but shared his love for his teammates.
"All the wins don't matter as long as we don't win the last one," Johnson said. "Everything we've done doesn't mean anything if we don't get to the big dance. But, love the guys, love the team that's been built here."
DE Von Miller, who finished playing in his 14th season, was reflective following the game. He said that he told the guys in the locker room that he could not put his finger on it, but he felt that this team was special.
"As you get older, you just start to have a different perspective on things," Miller said. "Some of the bonds that we had, the way we prepared, this coaching staff, this locker room, it was things on this team that stood out that wasn't on those last two Super Bowl teams that I had… God has an interesting way of going about things. I love being a Buffalo Bill, I love this coaching staff… I can't say enough about Josh."
While players were still feeling the results and gathering their emotions, the general feeling was that they will never forget this season and that it is not the end.
"Just seemed like we were so close, yet so far away," WR Amari Cooper said. "Overall, I felt like it was a great experience, a lot of great teammates. And it isn't over. Coach said in the meeting, 'the experience is going to make winning feel that much more sweet'."
Why free agents want to return to Buffalo
The Bills have 12 players who are set to become unrestricted free agents once the new league year begins. S Damar Hamlin, CB Rasul Douglas, DE Dawuane Smoot, DT Jordan Phillips, DT Austin Johnson, DT Quinton Jefferson, OL Tommy Doyle, WR Mack Hollins, WR Amari Cooper, RB Ty Johnson, FB Reggie Gilliam and LS Reid Ferguson make up the group.
LS Reid Ferguson
Ferguson is the longest tenured Bill on the list. He's played in 131 games for Buffalo. The long snapper signed with the Bills in 2016 as a rookie free agent before Sean McDermott was hired in 2017. Ferguson expressed he wants to come back next year due to unfinished business.
"Definitely," Ferguson said of wanting to stay in Buffalo. "Nine years here. Started with Rex (Ryan) and then Sean and Beane came in. We love it here and would definitely like to try and finish it off."
S Damar Hamlin
Hamlin is another notable name on the list. The safety earned a starting spot this offseason and recorded two interceptions, five passes defensed, 88 tackles, two tackles for loss and one fumble recovery in his fourth NFL season. Many who were on the team for the 2022 season feel extremely connected to Hamlin because they stood by his side during his cardiac arrest episode on Jan. 2, 2023. The safety has also done an incredible job of giving back to several communities through his Chasing Millions foundation.
Looking back on the season, his teammates thought he brought a lot of value to Buffalo's defense.
"I came in with D-Ham so me and him have a special relationship, and everything he's meant to the organization, the defense," defensive end Greg Rousseau said. "The plays he made last week versus Baltimore on that fumble, just huge plays…you always want to see the guys that have contracts expiring, come back. But it's just part of the business at end of the day."
"He's meant a lot to this team, he's meant a lot to this city," quarterback Josh Allen said. "His story is one of the greatest stories of all time. He's such a special human being and he's using all of his influence in a positive light. It's not easy to do what he's done. I commend him so much as a person, as a player for going out there and continuing to play extremely hard."
WRs Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins
Cooper and Hollins were two of the many new faces that made up the wide receivers room this season. Cooper was traded to the Bills in October and finished with 26 catches, 338 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games (including playoffs). Hollins had 36 catches, 482 yards and six touchdowns this year (including playoffs). The WR also led the team in receiving touchdowns.
"They've meant so much," Allen said of the two. "Mack's juice and energy throughout the entire locker room. It's infectious the way that he carries himself. He's a competitor. And then with Coop, obviously coming in about halfway, I've got nothing but love and respect for Amari Cooper."
When it comes to thinking about his next stop, Cooper said he would love to be back in Buffalo next season.
"Of course," Cooper said of having Allen as his QB again. "I mean, just to give it another run, have another opportunity at doing what we just did, but obviously finishing."
RB Ty Johnson
Johnson played a key role for Buffalo's offense both on the ground and in the air. The RB racked up 61 carries for 307 rushing yards (avg 5.2) and one rushing touchdown, as well as 22 catches, 318 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns (including playoffs). The RB says he has a lot of love for Buffalo.
"That's something for my agent, Brandon Beane and us to talk about," Johnson said about staying with the Bills. "I definitely love the city of Buffalo. Love the love from the fans. I love this team. Love Joe Brady, Josh (Allen), Coach Skip, everyone. If things work out, they'll work out."
Teammate and offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence would love to see Johnson back in blue and red.
"He's just a good spirit, he's the same guy every day," Torrence said. "No highs, no lows, he's Ty…also just the versatility he brings to the offense, he can run, catch, block."
DE Dawuane Smoot
Smoot played in 11 games during his first season in Buffalo. The DE accumulated 16 tackles, two forced fumbles, five tackles for loss, one and a half sacks and four quarterback hits in 2024. Defensive end Greg Rousseau said Smoot was awesome when it came to communication.
"There's a lot of communication on third down that he did a really good job with, and he was really poised out there, especially for a dude who it was his first year here," Rousseau said.
Smoot said he would like to return next year because of the relationships he made in the defensive line room.
"I would love to, but we know what the business is as well too," Smoot shared. "I've got to talk to Sean (McDermott) and the people that make those decisions. I would love to be back. I view this as my home now, and I don't want to go anywhere else."
"To have him back means a ton": How OC Joe Brady led one of the most successful offenses in 2024
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady received glowing reviews from his players after his first season as Buffalo's play-caller. Brady led an offense that finished second-best averaging 30.88 points per game (second-most in Bills history). Under his guise, Buffalo also became the NFL's first offense to record at least 30 rushing touchdowns and 30 passing touchdowns in the same season.
Tight end Dawson Knox thinks the way Brady approached the job was a big reason why the offense was so successful.
"Everyone kind of talked about how this year felt different, and I think that stems from Joe, in a way," Knox said. "…Joe's mentality of 'everybody eats,' the communication he brought to the table, how he encouraged us to talk to him…that two-way street of communication that he cultivated is something that's invaluable. So, to have him back means a ton. It's been so much fun to play for him and the energy he brings…every single dude in this locker room loves him."
The 'everybody eats' motto that Brady leaned into led to 13 different players recording a receiving touchdown, which tied an NFL record. Running back James Cook saw a career season finishing with 21 total touchdowns (including playoffs), joining Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson (1975) as the only Bills to record 20+ touchdowns in a single season.
The offensive line also had one of their best seasons yet as the group allowed a league-low 14 sacks. Offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence said players wanted to play their best due to how Brady led.
"I feel like him and guys like Coach (Aaron) Kromer our offensive line coach, they make it fun to come here," Torrence said. "I feel like, with the way this game works, with being how you got such a good season and have one loss at the end, having someone that can make it fun to come here is really important. Then, just the way he called the offense, the trust he put in the o-line."
"He did a great job scheming up the guys": Bobby Babich's first season as defensive coordinator
Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich completed his first season as the defensive coordinator and the Bills defense did not disappoint, finishing the 2024 campaign in the top three in takeaways with 32 total.
Babich earned the respect of the players in his locker room by dialing up the defense against some of the highest scoring teams in the NFL and calling the defense that held the Chiefs to 21 points in Week 11.
"He beat up all the big dogs," DE Von Miller said. "We went over to Detroit, he beat up over on that offensive coordinator. He beat up on the Chiefs during the season, Miami. He did a great job scheming up the guys."
Miller said that Babich is also a great leader of men, saying that if he was a GM, he would love to have Babich as a coach on his team.
"To go in there and command all those alpha males around and really get them to buy in, if I was a GM I would love to have him on my squad coaching my guys," Miller said. "It was an honor and a privilege to work with Bobby and to see him grow. He's got a bright future."
DE Greg Rousseau also said that Babich did a great job with the defense and that he is excited to see what 2025 holds with Babich calling the defense.
"I'm super excited," Rousseau said. "Bobby did an amazing job, like, fantastic. He pushed each and every one of us every day to be the best in the world. He pushed me, personally, more than any coach has ever pushed me. Just the energy that he brings and the belief that he has in us… we wouldn't have traded him for anything. Excited to run it back."
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