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Buffalo Bills training camp: Keon Coleman creates a sensation, no obvious number 2 for running back

Theo

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The Bills went through their first three days of training camp without anyone missing practice, but when they returned from a day off, one notable name wasn’t on the field in any capacity.

James Cook, the team’s starting running back, sat out practice Sunday at St. John Fisher University. The team said it excused Cook for personal reasons, which is a positive from the team’s perspective given his importance to the 2024 season.

In addition to Cook’s absence, two players in line to make the 53-man roster this summer suffered injuries. Veteran receiver Chase Claypool, who worked occasionally with quarterback Josh Allen and the first-team offense, limped out of a team drill.

Athletic trainers tended to him for several minutes and examined what appeared to be his right leg. Eventually, Claypool put his cleats back on, stood up and joined his teammates at receiver, though the receiver did not take another rep during the remainder of practice. Claypool signed a one-year, low-guarantee contract in early May.

Backup interior offensive lineman Will Clapp also suffered what appeared to be a left arm injury during a one-on-one repetition toward the end of practice. Clapp was working against defensive tackle Eli Ankou and immediately left the field with the athletic training staff. Clapp did not take another repetition in the few minutes remaining in practice, nor did he work out after the session with his offensive line teammates. Clapp, on a one-year contract, has consistently worked with the second-team offense, getting time along the interior at center and guard.

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What We Learned From Days 1-3 at Bills Camp

What stood out on the fourth day of camp, the last before the Bills put on their full protections for training camp? Here are some observations from the day.

Keon Coleman with the burst of practice play

Rookie receiver Keon Coleman has been one of the big draws for fans this summer, earning a standing ovation every time he steps out of the locker room at the start of practice. And so far, he’s lived up to his status as a top player. Over his first four days of camp, Coleman has shown good route running, particularly in the shortest areas of the field, and has been a reliable target when Allen calls on him. Coleman has done most of his work in team drills in the sub-10-yard area, but he took it a step further Sunday with a standout touchdown reception.

Working the red zone from 14 yards out, Coleman outran cornerback Christian Benford along the left sideline and found space just past the goal line. Allen fired a ball that forced Coleman to fully extend his long arms and bring the quick ball in, while keeping his line straight to get both feet in the end zone. Coleman caught the ball in mid-air without any double clutching and had no problem stomping his foot in-bounds. It was Coleman’s third red zone touchdown of camp so far, and while it’s unwise to jump to conclusions before full protections are on, he appears to be on the right trajectory for his role in 2024. He’s only worked with Allen during team drills, which is as good a sign as any. If Coleman can continue his strong camp and preseason, he’ll have a great shot at a role playing at least 50 percent of the offensive snaps when he’s healthy to start the year.


With James Cook out of practice Sunday, neither Ray Davis (pictured) nor Ty Johnson have made a strong case to be the replacement. (Tina MacIntyre-Yee/USA Today)

No Cook, so how did the RB time go?

There’s a real quirk to the Bills’ backfield in 2024. You have James Cook, and then there’s a bit of a split after him before the rest of the depth chart. So with him out Sunday, it gave a first look at what happens without that upper tier of the running backs room. During practice, there were only two running backs working with the first-team offense. That included veteran Ty Johnson and fourth-round rookie Ray Davis. It was a pretty even split in how often they lined up with Allen and the first unit, with Johnson having a slight edge over Davis.

Each player had an unfortunate moment during practice. Allen threw a pass to Johnson in the end zone, right between the numbers, and the running back let go of a touchdown. Meanwhile, Davis was stripped of the ball on a running opportunity and recovered by the defense, which under McDermott has been the more poorly regarded of the two offenses. Regardless, both players are looking to be part of the running back puzzle whether Cook is available or not, but there is no clear second back as the summer begins.

Through the first three days of practice, the Bills kept things pretty standard with defensive end Cam Lewis. After spending the last two seasons working primarily as a safety, Lewis had only been at nickel corner during the early summer sessions. That changed Sunday, with Lewis spending much of the first half of practice lining up as a safety with the second-team defense alongside rookie Cole Bishop. Then, in the second half of practice, Lewis returned to his nickel corner role during team drills. The early change also provided opportunities for some younger players, with sixth-round rookie Daequan Hardy working the second-team defense at nickel, and regular corner Ja’Marcus Ingram pulling double duty and getting some reps at nickel.

At safety, the first-team rotation has been restored to its original camp, with Damar Hamlin lining up alongside Taylor Rapp as the top pair. If the rotation from the first three days holds, we’ll see veteran Mike Edwards with Rapp on Day 5 and Bishop with Rapp on Day 6. Any deviation from that will be very notable.

List of players Allen can work with narrows by one WR

Through the first four days of camp, only five receivers have worked with Allen in team drills at each practice. So far, that top five includes Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Starting on Day 2, the Bills began working other names with Allen in 11-on-11s, including Claypool, KJ Hamler and Tyrell Shavers. That extra group was reduced by just one on Sunday, with Hamler on the outside. Even when Claypool got hurt, Shavers remained the only receiver outside of the perceived top five to get time with Allen. On Friday, we broke down what made Shavers an intriguing name to watch on the bubble for the 53-man roster, and he continued to earn opportunities with solid play. Conversely, second-year receiver and 2023 fifth-round pick Justin Shorter has yet to take a team drill rep with Allen in four practices.

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A tense moment towards the end of training

You can always tell when players are about to put on full protections because there’s just an extra edge in the air. This usually happens between offensive and defensive linemen, and it was the case once again this year. In one-on-one reps, backup interior offensive lineman Alec Anderson faced off against third-round rookie DeWayne Carter. Anderson controlled the rep early, Carter stumbled a bit and Anderson followed Carter’s block to the ground, landing on the defensive lineman. Carter didn’t seem to like the end of the rep, and the energetic Anderson didn’t back down. The coaches had them work against each other on the next rep, in which Anderson held his block well and then appeared to rip Carter by the jersey. Things escalated again after that play, leading to continued verbal exchanges between Anderson, Carter and other defensive linemen. If this is any indication, both teams appear ready to don the pads, and given Anderson’s fire, it wouldn’t be surprising if this event ends up being a bit of a harbinger for the next few practices.

Martin scores as #Puntapalooza2024 rages

After Friday’s opening salvo of the Bills’ punting competition, which saw undrafted rookie Jack Browning have a slight edge over veteran Sam Martin in hang time, the Bills gave each player six opportunities Sunday. Those opportunities came in the middle of the field and were designed to trap the offense deep with no return. Martin won the day by a slim margin, having both better averages in yards (38) and hang time (4.56). Browning’s 37.5 yard average was slightly behind, though his lower hang time average (4.45) was a bit more pronounced. Martin also had the best pindown of the day, flying an attempt from the 46-yard line to the two-yard line with a hang time of 4.59 — enough time for the coverage team to get under the ball. Browning had a similar pindown inside the five-yard line, all the way to the three-yard line. However, the 4.36 hang time forced Darrynton Evans to make an impressive over-the-shoulder catch to complete the play. So far, things remain fairly even after two days of punting.

(Top photo by Keon Coleman: Shawn Dowd / USA Today)

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