Pittsford, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) – Ed Oliver is entering his sixth season with the Buffalo Bills, but last year was really the first year the former first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft arrived.
Oliver spent most of the season disrupting other teams' offenses with a career-high 9.5 sacks and 42 tackles. He also had one interception and three passes defended.
The problem was Oliver saved his worst game of the season for Buffalo's AFC Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Oliver really isn’t looking to raise his game too much, as he feels other things are important.
"I think the main thing is staying healthy and staying on the field. Also building that chemistry, and I feel if we can just stay healthy with the guys we have and put it all together, we’ll be alright," said Oliver following Monday's first padded practice of Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University.
Oliver says he’s seen the improvement in guys like Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa.
"It’s the growth every year," he said. "Like [Greg] and A.J., the guys I came up with and seeing them grow every year. And seeing them leave one way and comeback a different way, knowing they put in the work in the offseason, seeing where they’re at so early versus how much time it took them to get to where they’re at right now."
With Monday being the first time the Bills practiced in pads at training camp, things got a little testy out on the practice field.
"There was a lot of animosity, and a lot of frustration. Pair that up with the heat, tempers flared a little bit. But I think it was a good day," Oliver said.
The players have been going at each other, and Oliver agrees it was bound to boil over once pads got on.
"The tempo had been a little shaky with no pads on, and over the days, people have been tempo violating. Now you put the pads on, and the tempo is wide-open," Oliver explained. "It’s now, ‘OK, let’s go.' So it comes from days where the tempo was a little shaky."
The defense did a pretty good job on Monday of stopping the run during 9-on-7 drills. Darrynton Evans broke off a long touchdown, but it was against the second-team defense.
"There’s a big margin where we can get better, but on the first day in pads, there were some really good things, and things not so good. But there’s always room to grow," Oliver said.
Oliver has a certain way to lead that maybe is different than some players. He said no matter how you do it, you must back it up.
"I’m the type of guy who smiles a lot, who jokes around a lot. I have to be more cognoscente, because it’s not a bad thing to be a fun, smiley guy that lets the younger guys know you don’t have to be so serious all the time. But I also know that I can’t mess up either, because if I’m going to be that way, I have to be on top of my game," Oliver acknowledged.
The Bills have DaQuan Jones back this season to play next to Oliver. Jones is entering his third season with the Bills after playing one season with the Carolina Panthers and seven seasons prior with the Tennessee Titans. Oliver is mightily happy that Jones will be back next to him.
"'DQ' speaks for himself. He’s one of the best D-tackles in the game," Oliver said. "Last year, he got hurt, came back and was still at the top. Having a guy like that, I wanted to see him back, because I’m just used to playing with him."
Related
The Bills will practice once again at St. John Fisher at 9:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday before having Wednesday off.
