By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
So Bills training camp has opened, the first of seven sold-out sessions was conducted Wednesday morning at Pittsford’s St. John Fisher University.
The weather didn’t cooperate, dumping a healthy dose of rain.
But it was a full-house crowd for one of only seven remaining NFL teams that travel away from their home facilities for training camp (Pittsburgh, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City, the L.A. Rams and New York Giants are the others).
The Bills’ hierarchy has long felt that leaving Orchard Park, even for barely a week (the length of this year’s camp), aids team-building while giving fans in the periphery an up-close-and-personal look at the team.
It was the first practice conducted by new head coach Joe Brady, who replaced nine-year veteran Sean McDermott.
AFTER practice, Brandon Beane, the former general manager now President of Football Operations, held a 30-minute press conference.
“It truly is one day at a time, we just finished one practice and there are some things that I’m excited about, but we’ve got to do it (over-and-over). There’s no quick build to a team, build a camaraderie, the glue. You know, in the season, you’re going to have ups and downs.”
Beane admitted, “”It’s been fun to see Joe. While there’s been similarities of what you saw as a quarterbacks coach and a coordinator, there’s also now like, ‘I’m in charge of this whole ship,’ so Joe has a great way about him, he’s got a natural presence.
“He can be firm, as I saw him jumpin’ some dudes today, so he’s got a good balance and in camp he’ll have tests along the way, but as a head coach I thought he had a great plan and talking about it and doing it is not always easy. Joe was very real in his interview, and was very authentic in how to plan and it hasn’t just been hollow words, he’s been methodically doing it step-by-step.”
BEANE was asked about two defenders, tackle Ed Oliver and recently-acquired safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
“Ed was one of the first names that (defensive coordinator) Jim Leonard brought up,” He said, ‘I know what this guy does well, I’ve studied him and I know him even better and I think I can get him some more opportunities in some 1-on-1 matchups.’
Beane added, “Ed ,as a 1-on-1 guy, is tough, he faces a decent amount of double (teams) and that’s where you love that Jim already has that in mind.”
As for Gardner-Johnson, Beane allowed, “He’s going into his eighth NFL season with the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. Twice in his career he’s had six interceptions and he won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, but his personality can rub people the wrong way and he seems to wear out his welcome.”
We’ll see if that happens in Buffalo.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
