Skipping OTAs is not contract-related for Douglas

Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) celebrates after an interception during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Orchard Park, NY. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)

Rasul Douglas made an immediate impact after the Bills nabbed him at the trade deadline last season. He ended up with a team-high four interceptions.

This year, Douglas will have a full offseason to integrate into the Bills defense. Joining the team mid-season last year only gave Douglas enough time to learn the game plans from week to week.

He will need additional time. The security blankets Douglas used last year are no longer in Buffalo (pun well-intended).

“Last year, I just showed up and just listened to what Micah and Po were saying. If I’m honest, they just looked at me and said, “Fine.” You can skip something. I just did it,” Douglas said of former Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. “I didn’t know what the others were doing. I just know Po told me I had this person, so I was keeping this person. Now I have to learn what the linebackers do, what the D line does, where I’m going to get my help from and all that kind of stuff.

Douglas skipped the Bills’ voluntary OTA workouts this year. There was speculation that Douglas could be looking for a new contract. His current contract will expire at the end of this season.

His absence was not linked to his contractual situation. It’s something he explained to coaches during exit interviews in January.

This is how he can best prepare for the season.

“If you know the athletes and the mindset you need to be in during the season, you can’t be there all the time. You need to take a break,” Douglas said. “We miss so much funerals, birthdays, all types of events. To just spend time with (your family) and also have a healthy and happy mind. There isn’t much sun here. You just need to go out and relax.

Believe it or not, Douglas said he didn’t know he was entering a contract year. It would be good for him if his next deal came from the Bills.

“I hope upstairs they see and think I’m worth something,” Douglas said. “And decide to put a little green in my pocket.”