Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) – Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is getting his first full season to be in charge of the Buffalo offense, starting with organized team activities (OTAs) this spring.
This offseason has seen the departure of key offensive pieces for quarterback Josh Allen, including wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. With that, the Bills have brought in quite a few new faces for the wide receivers room.
At the end of the day, though, Brady knows the offense runs through his veteran quarterback.
"You’re going to put together the offense around the guys that you've got," said Brady on Tuesday in Orchard Park. "For us to say that we’re going to scrap everything because everything was broken, that wasn’t the case.
"There’ll be elements of things that I believe in, but it’s more, 'Tell me who we have on our football team and what they can do well.'"
Allen needs to take this time to get a chemistry with his receivers, because Khalil Shakir is the only wide receiver on the roster that has caught a pass from Allen in a game.
"Every rep in practice, he has to get a comfort level on the field with some of those guys," Brady said. "This is also the time where we’re experimenting with some things, and if this guy can do this or can this guy can not do this, we’ll evolve. So by September, we’re hoping to have a good feel of them."
One of the weapons the Bills brought in this offseason that Brady has coached in the past is wideout Curtis Samuel. The two were together in Carolina during the 2020 season when Brady was offensive coordinator with the Panthers.
"What’s exciting is when I was with him in Carolina, when we had an injury at running back, we thought 'Curtis can do this,' or, 'Let's put Curtis outside,' and he was able to adapt and adjust to that," Brady said of the veteran.
"He’s extremely bright and can play any of the positions, inside or out, or in the backfield. He’s also one of the best blockers I’ve been around."
The Bills used their first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to start the second round by taking wide receiver Keon Coleman out of Florida State University. The young wide receiver is getting his first taste of the NFL this spring.
"I’m a big fan of Keon, and we were sold on the type of person that he is," Brady said of the rookie. "His work ethic and his play style, and he has a skill set that we felt we didn’t have in the room. He has traits that you look for, and skills that you think you can develop."
Last season, James Cook emerged as a very good running threat for the Bills. Cook was fourth in the NFL with 1,122 yards rushing, while also catching 44 passes. Brady says there is a different Cook in the building now compared to the start of last season.
"He’s physically in better shape than he was," he said. "I look at him and I can tell he put in a lot of work this offseason. He looks different in a good way, so I’m excited to see the type of run style he plays with this season."
Brady spent parts of two seasons with the Panthers as their offensive coordinator, but says he wasn't satisfied with the way things ended for him in Carolina.
"I have a passion for calling plays, but I also have a passion for teaching and coaching," Brady noted. "I love the relationship element of it, and I didn’t do a good enough job in my last stop. So this is a great opportunity for me to dive into the players. I have pride in this job, and I have pride in this organization. You live in Buffalo, you know how much the Bills mean to it. And there’s a lot of expectations."
Ronald Curry took over for Brady as the new quarterbacks coach this season. Curry has coached with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, and also played wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders.
Curry and Brady shared an office in New Orleans, and the Bills offensive coordinator was able to learn a lot from his friend.
"He was huge for my growth," Brady admitted. "He played wide receiver in the NFL and played quarterback growing up, and sees it from a quarterback perspective. But he can teach it from a receiver perspective, and that’s huge. He can tell the quarterbacks how a wide receiver is thinking it."
The Bills are into Week 2 of OTAs, which are voluntary.
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