4 takeaways from Bills camp: As pads come on, scuffles, injuries arise, kickoff anxiety, more from Fisher

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) — Temperatures and temperaments rose Monday as the Bills practiced in pads for the first time at training camp. Here are four takeaways from the fifth session of Buffalo’s stay at St. John Fisher.

Let’s get physical

Defensive lineman Ed Oliver said the energy changes when the pads go on for the first time in six months.

“I’ll call them front runners,” Oliver teased. “They act like they’re excited but they really not excited. Then they be trying to psych themselves out, you know? A lot of offensive guys.

“Everybody is pretty much excited,” added Oliver, who wasn’t bothered by shoulder pads when making one-handed interceptions during a lineman drill Monday.

“Everybody had the little nerves I’m pretty sure. It’s yeah you’re excited, yeah you’re nervous. Yeah, you just want to get the first day of pads over with. Get the hand on the ball and just feel what it feels like to actually be back playing football.”

The first skirmish of training camp occurred Sunday, between receiver Chase Claypool and cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram. There was more pushing and shoving Monday, at the outset of 11-on-11 drills when offensive tackle Alec Anderson got into it with undrafted rookie Branson Deen, drawing in Kingsley Jonathan and a rush from both sidelines before the kerfuffle subsided. Later on receiver Mack Hollins exchanged shoves with cornerback Kaiir Elam.

All this in spite of coach Sean McDermott’s warning before practice that “the goal today is not to go out there and, and beat the crap out of each other. It’s to go about it the right way.”

Injury updates

The Bills entered camp relatively healthy, with no need to use the physically unable to perform list. And nobody went down during the first three practices.

But the injury toll ticked up Sunday. New safety Mike Edwards will be out for at least a week with a hamstring injury, coach Sean McDermott said. Meanwhile, the other Mike Edwards, an offensive lineman is in concussion protocol, and Claypool is day to day with a toe injury.

Then on Monday running back Ty Johnson went down from a hit by linebacker Terrel Bernard and was very slow to get up. Johnson, who showed well in the absence of starter James Cook on Sunday, did not return to practice and had a sleeve on his right leg afterward.

Lead linebacker Matt Milano, recovering from his broken leg, was rested after being a full participant in the opening four practices, along with pass rusher Von Miller and All-Pro defensive back Taron Johnson. Cook returned to practice after being excused Sunday for a personal commitment.

Developing kickoff strategy

Special teams coordinator Matt Smiley is anxious about the new kickoff coverage rules.

“Just because there is no test track,” he said a few days into training camp. “Nobody has ever done anything like it. Special teams coaches, just by nature, are always thinking of worst-case scenarios.”

The coaches have encouraged player input in brainstorming ways to approach the rule modification in which coverage man now line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line but can’t move until the ball is caught.

But don’t expect to see teams reveal their best tactics when the new format debuts in the preseason.

“There’s a good chance that the preseason will look different than the regular season when it comes to the new kickoff rule,” Smiley said. “Potentially more experimentation. But you also got to be careful what you’re showing. Everybody’s going to be on pins and needles watching those first preseason games.”

Surprise receivers

With Claypool injured and Marquez Valdes-Scandling yet to make a splash during training camp, less heralded receivers Tyrell Shavers and Bryan Thompson have taken advantage of opportunities to make catches that could help them catch on to one of the last roster spots.

Shavers, who spent last season on the practice squad as an undrafted rookie, has started to run with the first team. And after Shavers received a mention from GM Brandon Beane following the Stefon Diggs trade in the spring, the head coach has been “very impressed” by Shavers’ continued progress into the summer.

“Even if you go back to his rookie season, he’s so consistent,” McDermot said.”One of the first players in the building, one of the last to leave. Knows what we’re doing offensively, systematically. When you look up consistent in the dictionary like his face shows up in my mind because he’s so consistent, and at a young age. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for that.”

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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 .