PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills have concluded their 25th training camp at St. John Fisher University before moving operations back to Orchard Park. Ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener at Highmark Stadium, here are some WIVB News 4 takeaways from the 12th practice of camp and media availabilities.
Josh Allen won’t play Saturday
Bills fans got a glimpse of Josh Allen in uniform at last week’s stadium practice. They will see less of the MVP quarterback in the sole only home game of the preseason. Coach Sean McDermott said the rest of Buffalo’s starters will play about a quarter of the game against the New York Giants.
“Just trusting what coach is saying, what he’s thinking,” Allen said after Thursday’s practice without pads. “He’s the guy in charge, so following what he is saying.”
Along with protecting his team’s most valuable asset from injury in an exhibition, McDermott said he wanted backup Mitch Trubisky to get some live action with the starting offense. Allen will be watching closely.
“This is a very pivotal moment for some guys trying to make the roster, and trying to a living for themselves and their families,” Allen said. “So I understand the gravity of these games and what they mean to certain guys. And I just wanna make sure that I give them my full attention and a lending ear and a lending mind if they need it.”
Buffalo’s biggest star took time to greet fans and sign autographs after most every practice of training camp. After the final practice, Allen sought out Nate Forrestel, an adaptive golfer from Akron who has developed a following on social media, and gifted him two tickets to the Ryder Cup next month at Bethpage Black downstate.
“Obviously it’s in New York this year,” Allen said, “so why not have the only New York team send some of our Bills Mafia fans over there. Nate’s a great guy. He golfs a lot. I don’t know if you guys are on Instagram but I believe his tag is Nate The Golf Guy or Nate The Golfer. One of those. He actually – he’s got a really good swing. So it was a cool moment.”
James Cook saga
The Bills’ top tailback sat out his fourth consecutive practice in a contract extension standoff with the team. McDermott said prior to Thursday’s practice that he expected Cook would return to the field.
“Everything for any player is I expect every player to practice every day,” McDermott said. “You know that remains to be seen whether or not he’s going to be here or not. But I’m hopeful he will at some point here.”
While executing his “hold-in” strategy, Cook has remained with the Bills at training camp, attending meetings and walk-through sessions, McDermott said.
“It’s no doubt that we all want them out there with us,” Allen said. “I’ve got no say in what goes on behind closed doors. And I’m a big advocate of everybody getting theirs and getting paid. And sometimes you gotta do what you gotta to do, and that’s kind of where it’s at.
“It’s no doubt that we all want them out there with us. I’ve got no say in what goes on behind closed doors. And I’m a big advocate of everybody getting theirs and getting paid. And sometimes you gotta do what you gotta to do, and that’s kind of where it’s at.
McDermott said the Bills “care for Jimbo. We care for him and his family and we look forward to having him back. We’ll see if that happens today.”
“It’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up, show us what they’ve got,” the coach added. “And the team moves forward. That’s the nature of the business.”
For kicks
While Ray Davis assumes the starting running back role for now, the second-year player also could see time on the field as Buffalo’s emergency placekicker.
“I don’t want to give away any secrets, strategy-wise, at this point,” McDermott said with a wink. “But I think it’s good for Ray to get a little bit of as an emergency kicker during the season, to get maybe a little small warm-up or maybe an extra point.”
With Tyler Bass being held out of practice because of pelvic area soreness, two free agent kickers worked out for the Bills this week. One likely will be signed to play on Saturday.
Injury update
Beyond Bass and Cook, 11 other Bills sat out Thursday’s practice because of injury: rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston (knee), leading receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle), starting safeties Cole Bishop (quadriceps) and Taylor Rapp (knee), receivers Curtis Samuel (hamstring) and Kaden Prather (hamstring), linebacker Shaq Thompson (hamstring) offensive linemen Alec Anderson (knee), Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf) and Tylan Grable (concussion), and rookie cornerback Dorian Strong (undisclosed), who has been a camp standout.
“The list has been a lot longer than in years past,” McDermott said. “Injuries come up, they do, they come up at different points in the season. I’d rather have them now than in the playoffs, so that’s my hope at this point. That said I am concerned with like I’ve said some of the pieces being out there together, especially some of our newer players, our younger players, it’s hard to show up in this league first game of the season and be ready to go.”
The Bills are getting a bit healthier in some spots. Starting right tackle Spencer Brown has resumed practicing after missing the first week of camp because of a back injury flare, but is unlikely to play in the preseason opener, McDermott said. Top middle linebacker Terrel Bernard also got back on the practice field in a limited role the past two days after missing a week with a hamstring injury.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.