Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – With the Buffalo Bills getting ready to open 2023 training camp on Wednesday in Rochester, it seems there isn’t as much hype for this team as there was last year.
Many had the Bills as Super Bowl favorites last season, but after a less than stellar second half of the season and playoff, the Bills now seem like an afterthought.
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"We all still have a lot to do to get to the end of July and August, but with that being said, in any franchise there’s a window of opportunity, and our chances are fleeting no matter how you want to look at it," said Bills center Mitch Morse just before the team ended mandatory minicamp in June. "Whether how big or how small the window is, you never can quite know when it can end, and you never know when that opportunity is going to rise.
"We’ve had some great fortune the last few years, but when is that going to dry up? Whether it’s going to be from injuries or from turnover, age. I feel it going into Year 9, like how many more opportunities do I have personally? I think everyone is having that talk to themselves, and we’re just marching along and trying to take every advantage possible."
Morse is entering his fifth season with the Bills after signing with the team in free agency following four seasons spent with the Kansas City Chiefs.
It is interesting that the perception of the Bills has fallen, because Morse likes the players that are here right now.
"We have all the pieces to the puzzle, and I’ve been on teams where you say that and it just doesn’t end up going the way you do or you think it. It might not be it, and then you make these huge runs. We have the tools, we have the opportunity. It’s just going out there and getting better."
The Bills have some new offensive linemen coming to camp in David Edwards and Brandon Shell. Edwards spent a little over three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, while Shell has put in four years with the New York Jets, two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and one year with the Miami Dolphins. Morse likes that type of veteran presence for the Bills.
"Along with them being veterans, a lot of those guys have played substantial football," Morse said. "They have game experience to draw back on so when they’re called upon, they want opportunities they can draw from. They also just know how to be pros, and even when your number isn’t called every day, you still have to be a professional."
O’Cyrus Torrence was taken by the Bills in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft after playing his college football at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Florida. The Bills aren’t afraid to use rookie offensive linemen, with right tackle Spencer Brown being a prime example. Morse says he likes what he saw from Torrence during organized team activities (OTAs).
"It’s how willing he is to learn [Aaron] Kromer’s technique. He’s really working on trying to figure it out and get better," he said of the rookie guard. "He doesn’t let bad reps bum him out. He flushes those, comes back strong, and the dude is just naturally gifted strong. But he’s a good dude.
“I think when you have a rookie that’s drafted in those first few rounds, you’re all a little anxious to see if he comes in thinking his s*** doesn’t stink. But he’s been a great sponge of information, and he’s done a good job. The best thing is trial by fire in training camp."
The Bills' first practice at St. John Fisher is set for Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.
