Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Welcome back, football!
I hope you had a nice offseason, fellow Buffalo Bills fans, and please keep enjoying your summer! But it is time to start getting back into football mode, as the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens is less than eight weeks away.
Training camp officially begins Wednesday, which means I have a little information for you on storylines to follow while the Bills are working out at St. John Fisher.
First off, a first in Bills history will take place at camp with cameras from NFL Films being on hand to follow everything the team does for the next five weeks. A couple months ago, the Bills were chosen to be this year's subjects on HBO's "Hard Knocks" in training camp. The initial episode will air on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
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One of the storylines will be whether or not those ever present cameras and microphones will prove to be a distraction for a team that, again, has its sights on reaching the Super Bowl.
The Bills are a pretty buttoned up organization, so it will be interesting to see if we learn anything we might not normally know, thanks to the behind the scenes access.
One of the stories the folks at Hard Knocks certainly have on their list is James Cook.
The Bills running back is not happy with his contract situation. Cook is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and will make a healthy $5.3 million, but he is looking for a new contract that will, at least, double, if not triple that number when it comes to average annual value.
Will Cook show up for camp? I think he will, since he did come in for mandatory minicamp in June to avoid being fined.
But the question is really whether or not Cook will stage a hold-in to open camp. That has become a thing in recent seasons for players who are unhappy with their contract. They show up at camp, but don't participate in practices.
As far as actual on-field stories for the Bills offense during camp, the biggest one should be the battle for spots at wide receiver following some offseason turnover.
Gone are Amari Cooper (still unsigned) and Mack Hollins (signed with the New England Patriots). In are Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore and Laviska Shenault Jr.
The top-three wideouts will likely be Khalil Shakir, who had his contract extended during the offseason, second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel.
The Bills have gone with five receivers coming out of the preseason in recent years, so if they do that again, the final spot will probably come down to Moore or Shenault.
The offense is really set everywhere else. Same quarterback (thank goodness), same top-three at running back, same starting five back along the offensive line, and same top-two at tight end, although there will be a focus on both tight ends - Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid - since that pair had disappointing 2024 campaigns.
There are three starting spots up for grabs on the 2025 edition of the Bills. Two are on defense, and one is on special teams.
Starting on defense, the Bills let Rasul Douglas leave in free agency, so the starting cornerback spot opposite Christian Benford is in play.
First-round pick Maxwell Hairston will be under the microscope since many will expect him to be the starter come Week 1. If it isn't Hairston, the job could go to another corner who started right away as a rookie with the Bills.
Tre'Davious White, who was Sean McDermott's very first draft pick as Bills head coach, was re-signed in the offseason. I'm not convinced White can still be an every-snap corner due to his injuries over the years, but he would be the best bet and give the Bills experience at that spot if they decide Hairston isn't ready.
The other starting competition is at safety, where 2024 starter Damar Hamlin is back, but will have his hands full trying to hold off Cole Bishop, the Bills' second-round pick from a year ago. Bishop gained valuable experience last year, and showed a strong skill set.
It feels like the spot will be his to lose, even though Hamlin is the incumbent.
An established starter on that side of the ball will also be a story to follow from Pittsford.
You can bet camp observers will be watching linebacker Matt Milano to see how he looks. When healthy, Milano is an every down, difference-making player, but he's dealt with injuries the last two years that forced him to miss huge chunks of playing time.
The Bills will be hoping Milano looks like his usual self, and the combination of injuries and age have not caused him to lose a step.
If you're a fan of special teams, you have a story to track.
Chris Tabor is the new special teams coordinator. He has had that same job in the past for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, and will be tasked with making the special teams a lot more consistent than they were last season.
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Keep WGR Sports Radio 550 close by since we will have the most extensive and best coverage of Bills training camp.
Hey football, it's nice to have you back!