NFL
By: Randall Slifer
The Buffalo Bills are back! The Buffalo Bills have completed their first week of Training Camp in Rochester, NY. The weather was bleak, and it rained most of training camp. It poured rain on Monday, with some sunshine in the forecast this week.
This year is one of the most intriguing off-seasons in Buffalo’s history. There are still folks on social media clamoring to sign a “McDermott petition,” and locals are taking a tour of the new Highmark Stadium. One thing that has not changed is that Josh Allen has not appeared in a Super Bowl.
Firing Sean McDermott was not a grace period to ramp up Super Bowl chances, but it is supposed to be a catalyst to slingshot this team to the promised land. Let’s take a look at the top five headlines of the first week of training camp:
5.) Keon Coleman
Keon Coleman is entering his 3rd year in the league, and it has been underwhelming to say the least. He did have a rough off-season. Keon was called out by ownership and tossed in the shredder, which he certainly did not deserve. Regardless, you can spin a web of reasons so many times, but the 33rd pick has not performed to his draft pick.
New wide receiver coach Drew Terrell said Keon was “One of the smartest football players to be around.” DJ Moore said, “Keon’s very smart. So some of the things he says, you’d be like, OK, but then you’ll be like, dang, that really might be a good way to put things.” Those two quotes lead to some speculation. We all know Keon Coleman is a talker, so DJ Moore’s comments make the most sense. Please filter out Keon, take what is good, and use it.
His most frequent routes and passes at this training camp have been quick slants and back-shoulder throws. Josh Allen said in his presser that Keon had to be “excellent” at back-shoulder throws. If Keon were as smart, one would think he had moved past these two routes. This seems like Buffalo is entering the season understanding that Keon Coleman is just a limited wide receiver. He will not be the dominant X they had hoped for when they drafted him. Keon Coleman should enter as a WR4 or WR5 and stay there. His focus should be contributing to blocking and gaining first downs by using his frame on the sideline.
4.) Dalton Kincaid
Dalton Kincaid is a piece that ultimately can unlock this offense to be more than dominant. The constant argument of Brandon Beane’s ability to build a wide receiver room is deafening, but does not really tell the whole story. Buffalo invested in a top 4 offensive line to keep Josh healthy. They have a top-3 running back room, with James Cook down to Ty Johnson. They have a top 3 TE room when Dalton Kincaid is healthy.
Dalton Kincaid has been dealing with nagging PCL issues throughout his career. He was days away from getting surgery to fix the issue until a 2nd opinion led to Kincaid opting out. 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall just elected to undergo surgery for a similar issue, sidelining him for 6 to 9 months. Dalton Kincaid looks healthier than I have ever seen him this offseason. He has gained positive weight and strength without a knee brace. The question will be whether Dalton Kincaid can survive a 17-game season without heavy load management. Light load management with vet rest days is ideal. Kincaid’s snap share should skyrocket while he looks for an extension out of the Buffalo Bills.
3.) The Defensive Back room
The defensive back room is one of the most intriguing to watch this offseason. The Buffalo Bills filled their defensive coordinator position with Jim Leonhard, a former NFL defensive back and Buffalo Bills player.
It feels like the cornerback on the other side of Christian Benford is open for sale. I personally believe it is Max Hairston’s job to lose (by a gap), but the hype around Davison Igbinosun has been real, and he has been showing out. Jim Leonhard talked highly of both players, calling Hairston a “man corner” and his 4.29 speed undeniable. Davison Igbinosun is your rangy man corner at 6’2 with almost 33-inch arms. They both have fantastic qualities, and Bills media may be right about determining who starts based on who they are matching up against that week.
The immediate safety duo to start was going to be CJGJ and Cole Bishop, but CJGJ is officially out with a calf strain for 4-6 weeks (thankfully no Achilles). This will allow players like Geno Stone and Jalon Kilgore to show what they can do for the Buffalo Bills. Jalon Kilgore was a steal in the draft and should have been drafted in the 3rd or 4th round. He has 4.4 speed at 6’1 “, 210 lb, and can fly around the field. Geno Stone is entering his 7th year in the NFL and looks to get back to his Ravens form after a rough outing against a bad Bengals defense.
One position to watch out for is the Nickel position as well. Jim Leonhard loves to use his nickel players in a variety of ways, and Dee Alford has been playing well this training camp. When Jim Leonhard was hired, he did not reveal who his favorite player to work with in Buffalo would be, but we all knew it was Cole Bishop. If Dee Alford can step into the nickel role and do it well, this gives Jim Leonhard a true chess piece in Cole Bishop, who will be destined for All-Pro (unless the votes are forgotten in Buffalo, per usual).
2.) The Linebacker Room
The Linebacker room is one room where there is consensus that it is a little bare, and the Buffalo Bills could add a guy. Terrel Bernard was injured all last year, and he should have gone on IR to get fully healthy. Shaq Thompson was the saving grace of the season last year, and the Buffalo Bills would not have gotten as far as they did without him. If the Buffalo Bills were to sign Shaq Thompson late in the year, it would be a great addition.
There is no doubt that Buffalo needs Terrel Bernard to get back to the level they gave him $50+ million for in an extension. The positive aspect of Jim Leonhard’s new defense is that it looks like he will be going back to the WILL position, instead of the MIKE linebacker position. This allows Terrel Bernard to do what he does best, and help in coverage. He can also stay clean and scrape the line in run defense, instead of trying to shoot and close gaps.
It also seems like Jim Leonhard hand-picked Kaleb Elarms-Orr in this draft in the 4th round. I was a huge advocate of KEO out of TCU in the draft process. He was a do-it-all linebacker in college. In 2025 at TCU, He had 4 sacks and 4 QB hits as a rusher, 53 defensive stops, and 376 snaps in coverage with 35 targets thrown at him. Jim Leonhard and the Buffalo Bills have not limited KEO in his first training camp. He has worked with the 1’s all week and has worked reps as the MIKE and the WILL. Jim Leonhard has big plans for KEO.
Dorian Williams may end up as the main backup linebacker, and I think he will excel in Jim Leonhard’s defense. Dorian Williams is a heavy-hitting, run-stuffing linebacker. Last year, he also learned a lot about rushing the passer. The difference between Leonhard’s and McDermott’s defenses is that linebackers will not have to overthink. In Dorian Williams’ case, he will need to identify only one or two things and have only one or two jobs. Dorian Williams will be asked to do what he excels at in this defense.
1.) Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard
The one big hiccup that could stunt the Buffalo Bills is the team’s top coaches. Joe Brady is a first-year head coach, and Leonhard is an NFL first-year defensive coordinator. Joe Brady did a great job building his staff behind him and Leonhard, bringing in young guys as well as some important veteran coaches to help him in his process.
Pete Carmichael, as the offensive coordinator, is a huge get in terms of veteran presence. A 30-year NFL coach and a Super Bowl winner with the Saints is a coach who has seen it all. This will help Joe Brady take many day-to-day jobs off his plate on offense, so he can focus on being a head coach for both offense and defense. Now, Joe Brady seems to be still carrying his bias into the offense. It does not need to go away completely, but stating that you want Josh Allen to dominate the defense every day of training camp is not ideal. There are reports that Joe is still getting up to speed with the defense and treating each unit as equal. Growth pains are normal, but please keep in mind that the McDermott firing is a catalyst, not a grace period.
Jim Leonhard has not called plays in the NFL, but did call plays with Wisconsin. His defense at Wisconsin was elite and a real fun watch, so Buffalo Bills fans should be flying high with the hiring of Leonhard. He is assertive in his words during his presser, and he has positive intentions in everything he does. Calling plays in the NFL is still a tough transition, and he will need to get ready in Week 1 with no grace period. The first five games for the Buffalo Bills are against the Texans, Lions, Chargers, Patriots, and Rams. Jim Leonhard will need to have ice in his veins early.
If you are pessimistic about this season, I cannot get on board with you this year. Everything is new with a sprinkle of old. Things needed to change, and the defense was the issue. Jim Leonhard was the best-case-scenario hire, and the defense will look nothing like the “wait and see to adjust” approach of McDermott’s defense.
The Buffalo Bills still have 3 more training camp days in Rochester, NY, before heading back to Buffalo to get ready for the Red and White on August 8th. Pre-season is around the way, and I think all football fans can say, we are ready. As always, Go Bills.
