Pittsford, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Preparations for the 2025 season are underway for the Buffalo Bills, as the team opened training camp on Wednesday at St. John Fisher University in Rochester.
Leading up to training camp, arguably the biggest storyline of the offseason for the Bills has been the focus on running back James Cook, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is looking for a new contract.
There was plenty of speculation this offseason whether or not Cook would attend training camp, let alone practice in a full capacity, but the 25-year-old is present and accounted for on the first day of camp.
"Couldn't be more pleased with James, and him being here on time and ready to go," said Bills head coach Sean McDermott on Wednesday ahead of the team's opening practice. "I had a chance to meet him, greet him yesterday, and shake his hand, look him in the eye, and he's ready to go."
Ahead of practice, McDermott detailed the injuries to four players not taking part in the first day of camp. Tight end Dawson Knox (hamstring), offensive tackle Spencer Brown (back), center Sedrick Van-Pran Granger (calf) and wide receiver Laviska Shenault (lower leg strain) will all miss some time as they work to rehab and get back on the practice field.
While some players missed practice to start training camp due to injury, one notable offseason addition with an injury history that was on the field Wednesday was edge rusher Joey Bosa. The Bills signed Bosa to a one-year deal to start NFL Free Agency, but missed all of organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp due to an injury.
Bosa was a full participant for the Bills once the team took the field on Wednesday.
"We had a number of guys that spent quite a bit of time following the OTA and minicamp period in the spring, getting themselves healthy, spending extra time in Buffalo, staying there until they felt healthy enough to leave and then go train on their own. Joey, being one of them," McDermott said with the assembled media at St. John Fisher. "Couldn't be more happy with the work he's put in to come back healthy and ready to go. We'll have a rep plan for him and, in a way, to manage things to the best of our ability, to try and keep him as healthy as possible. We look forward to watching him out there this morning at practice."
One major difference for the Bills at this year's training camp will be the presence of NFL Films crews as they following the team for this year's edition of HBO's "Hard Knocks". The Bills were selected to be the focus of the program earlier this offseason, and will be the featured team for the first time in the show's 24-year existence.
McDermott believes the film crews being around the team throughout this year's camp will not be a distraction for his group.
"It's what happens when you've had success. People want to see what's behind the curtain a little bit," McDermott acknowledged. "The important thing for us is we can, while we're here, build that connection and build that trust that is so important to building the chemistry that we need. We have nothing to hide. We are who we are. I think the cool part about this is people see us on Sunday, they see us on game day. Now they get a chance to see that what we do on Sunday is exactly what we do Monday through Saturday. And I think that's the cool piece about it, the increased noise, if you will. Maybe in some ways, good practice for us to really hone in and focus and get our focus where it needs to be."