Buffalo Bills 2024 OTAs notebook: Sights and sounds from Day 2

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Buffalo Bills Mandatory Minicamp
Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images

QB17 celebrates his 28th birthday by playing some football with new friends

The Buffalo Bills have begun the on-field portion of spring training ahead of the 2024 season. With that comes their first chance to see the complete roster on the gridiron via Organized Team Activities.

Tuesday, May 21 marked the first opportunity for the team to be together in one place all at the same time, and with that came plenty of news and updates about Buffalo’s roster.

First things first, here’s to wishing quarterback Josh Allen a happy 28th birthday!

Head coach Sean McDermott had some special words for Allen on his birthday.

On the injury front, Sal Capaccio reported that linebacker Matt Milano and offensive tackle Spencer Brown were nonparticipants during Monday’s OTA session. Brown had shoulder surgery in the offseason and is still in the recovery process. Capaccio noted that head coach Sean McDermott termed Milano as “on schedule,” and “closer to training camp” for a timetable to return to the field — though McDermott also said there’s the potential for “(p)ossibly some drill work before that.”

Matt Parrino reported that offensive tackle Tommy Doyle and wide receiver Bryan Thompson weren’t on the field Monday — implying that they may not participate through the duration of OTAs. Parrino also noted that defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and cornerback Rasul Douglas weren’t at Monday’s session.

Alaina Getzenberg reported that free-agent safety addition Mike Edwards “is also dealing with a shoulder injury, per McDermott.” — and that Edwards is expected to be sidelined the “next few weeks.”

Though injury updates are important after the team’s scheduled down time, there were plenty of reasons to celebrate some of the team’s newest players. As Parrino noted, McDermott was quick to compliment wide receiver Chase Claypool, who recently signed a free-agent contract with the Bills.

Per McDermott:

“I applaud Chase for coming here to see where things go. ... You don’t find that a lot around the NFL where a player has been at a certain level and then is on a mission right now to reclaim what he once was in that regard. And those are my words, maybe not fair to Chase, respectfully, but I would just say very impressed with his day to day approach, true pro, high character, smart player, and he’s been a good addition to our team.”

In speaking with reporters, Josh Allen mentioned that priority number-one during OTAs will be getting better acquainted with the team’s new receivers off the field.

Allen has previously pointed to the importance of building those relationships, which help build a strong on-field connection in key moments. Though it’s early, what Bills Mafia really wanted to learn is how things look on the field with Allen throwing to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman.

So far, so good!

Early returns seem promising between Allen and Coleman, but it would appear they’ve yet to establish one of Allen’s key go-to move: a signature handshake between the pair.

One has to wonder if it may eventually include pantomime involving a winter jacket.

Hang on a minute — is Josh Allen considering an NBA career?

There’s no time like the present, and the Buffalo Bills aren’t living in past regrets or previous goals. New teams need new mantras, and it appears that One Bills Drive has presented this year’s team with a blank canvas to create their own identity.

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