Pittsford, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Football coaches will always say, and remind their players, that an injury to one player means an opportunity for someone else to show what he can do.
With so many injuries to deal with, there have been plenty of those "someone else" players on the Buffalo Bills through the first seven training camp practices at St. John Fisher University.
One of the spots that’s been interesting to watch, and clearly now has a battle, is backup middle linebacker.
Starter Terrel Bernard has been out several days with a hamstring injury, which means Baylon Spector and Joe Andreessen have both been given chances to step into his role as defensive play-caller.
On Thursday, Spector and Andreessen rotated with the first unit during different 11-on-11 periods, lining up next to weakside linebacker Matt Milano.
Spector is going into his fourth year, but availability has been an issue. When he’s heathy, he’s been an excellent run stopper and primary special teams player.
"He knows this, we've talked about it," head coach Sean McDermott said this week about Spector. "The availability is what's held him back at times, so he's very aware of that and we're doing our best. Our medical staff is doing the best that we can to get him in just the right spot so that we can test out a little bit, but not too much, and then he can get on into the season here."
Spector has looked healthy, and seems to be around the ball quite a bit against the run so far.
Andreessen, the Lancaster High School and University at Buffalo product, made a play on Thursday that won’t show up on a stat sheet, but could impact the result of a game.
During 11-on-11 red zone work, quarterback Josh Allen looked like he thought he had running back Ty Johnson open in the flat, but Andreessen recognized it and started flying to get there. Allen saw that, so he moved off him to tight end Dalton Kincaid. The timing to Kincaid was then off a bit for an incompletion.
Andreessen forced that stop even though he wasn’t involved near the ball.
Another position battle brewing is at safety.
Cole Bishop should be the starter, and has been all camp when he’s healthy. But he wasn’t on the field Thursday due to a quad injury, which allowed Darrick Forrest and Damar Hamlin to see time paired with Taylor Rapp as the starter in Bishop’s place.
Injury updates:
Bishop was the only player added to Thursday’s “did not participate due to injury" report.
Offensive lineman Alec Anderson, who's been out a couple days, had his knee scoped and the team considers him week-to-week.
The Bills did get a couple players back on the field, though.
Tight end Dawson Knox saw his first action this year after missing the first week with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Tyrell Shavers was back after a scary ankle injury on Sunday.
Next up:
The Bills will head back to Orchard Park for their annual “Return of the Blue and Red” open practice Friday starting at 5 p.m.
