Training camp and the preseason is a thing of the past, but according to Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, a few training camp position battles are not.
The Bills trimmed their roster to 53 players this week and have pieced together their first practice squad. Despite that, the coach said on Thursday that the No. 2 cornerback and the starting offensive line has yet to be written in pen just yet.
“They continue to battle,” McDermott said via video conference on the cornerback battle. “Currently you’ll see Levi (Wallace) out there and you’ll see Dane (Jackson) at times.”
The starting spot across from Tre’Davious White is pretty cut-and-dry. It’ll either be Wallace or Jackson. However, a split is also possible.
In 2020, Wallace and Josh Norman rotated there for the Bills. Once opening day comes around against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we’ll likely get our answer.
In terms of the offensive line, it’s not so simple. First and foremost, it’s a five player unit. But we do at least have a few players that we can comfortably consider starters.
Those would include both tackles, Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams, and center Mitch Morse
The guard spots have been the ones up for grabs and McDermott added that competition there is not over.
“Continuity is important in all areas, but again, I think it speaks to the trust that we have and the depth that we have that there’s still competition in that position, along the front,” McDermott said. “The competition I think continues there as well and those guys know that.”
Vying for playing time at guard are Jon Feliciano, Cody Ford, Ike Boettger, and perhaps Ryan Bates could be an outsider looking in.
In reading between the lines, McDermott might have shown his hand a bit.
The coach, starting from left to right, went down each spot on the O-line discussing players. He started at left tackle and mentioned Dawkins missing time, and then at left guard, McDermott also referenced Feliciano spending time on the sideline due to injury during training camp.
McDermott then fell short of continuing, so was that him naming Feliciano the starter?
That’s just speculation, but many presumed that Feliciano was more locked into a starting spot anyway. He could slightly be on a hot seat, of sorts, but the starting job that has been speculated to be up for grabs the most is the other guard spot.
Like at cornerback, we likely won’t know that answer until quarterback Josh Allen breaks the huddle for first time vs. the Steelers on Sept. 12.
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