Sean McDermott has a plan for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and other starters for the preseason opener, and Allen says his team is getting overlooked. But the Bills still have three players who are struggling during NFL training camp.
Trying to fight their way into a groove are wide receiver Chase Claypool, safety Mike Edwards, and kicker Tyler Bass.
Bills WR Chase Claypool fighting injury woes
After getting first-team reps early, Claypool’s stock has dropped. He fell all the way to third team, putting him in the precarious No. 7 spot.
The biggest part of the problem came in the form of a toe injury, keeping him out of all padded practices to date, according to nytimes.com. If Claypool is going to make the roster, he needs to find a way onto the practice field.
Earlier this summer, McDermott liked what he saw from the veteran receiver, according to espn.com.
“(Claypool is) very focused,” McDermott said. “He's working extremely hard day in and day out. Very impressed with his day-to-day approach, true pro, high character, smart player, and he's been a good addition to our team.”
Claypool has shown flashes in seasons past
The 25-year-old Claypool came to Buffalo hoping to re-energize a career that started strong. He had two good years with the Steelers, twice going over 800 yards and totaling 11 touchdowns — including nine as a rookie in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t reached 500 yards in receiving and totaled only four touchdowns in two seasons with three different teams.
“I went from being a starter, playing every play, to going to Miami and really not playing at all,” Claypool told espn.com. “It made me realize my love for the game. Because even though I was doing nothing that I wanted to do or expect to do, special teams and stuff like that at the time, I realize how much I love football. If I didn't love the game, that'd be easy to just fold.
“But I'm not here to prove that I'm not what they say I am, I'm just here to be who I am and be a part of the team. I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong or right, I'm just being who I am. It doesn't matter what the outside world says, as long as my teammates know the kind of guy I am, and coaches do, too.”
Standing in Claypool’s way to make the roster are guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyrell Shavers. It’s not a good sign for Claypool’s NFL career if he can’t crack the Bills’ 53-man as a wide receiver. The Bills enter the season with potentially one of the least threatening groups in the NFL.
Edwards trying to find a home in Buffalo
After four years with the Buccaneers, Edwards landed in Kansas City last year and earned a Super Bowl title. He’s with the Bills now and trying to hold on for a roster spot, but finds himself in third-team standing at free safety.
Like Claypool, Edwards hasn’t been able to shake the injury bug. He suffered another setback early in training camp, putting him on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Edwards isn’t the only injured secondary player. Rookie second-rounder Cole Bishop has also fallen prey to a hamstring problem. McDermott said the team is trying to make do, according to athlonsports.com.
“You’ve got to do as much as you can mentally,” said McDermott. “I mean, when you look at Mike’s situation, Mike missed most of the spring, now missing a lot of the valuable reps in training camp, and now Cole. It’s really hard, right, especially when you don’t have background in the system.”
Taylor Rapp (SS) and Damar Hamlin (FS) are listed as the current safety starters. Cam Lewis and Bishop are listed as second team. Kyron Brown joins Edwards on third team.
Kicker Tyler Bass looking for consistency
Nearly automatic on extra points in his first four seasons (205 of 210 for 97.6%), Bass isn’t in danger of getting cut at this point. The Bills signed him to an extension before the 2023 season, believing they wrapped up one of the NFL’s best.
But Bass wasn’t quite as automatic on some of the longer field goal attempts last season. And then he missed three of his five playoff attempts, including a 44-yarder that would have tied the divisional round game against the eventual World Champion Chiefs in the final two minutes. Wide right, of course.
McDermott hasn’t forgotten the postseason shakiness, according to his comments to democratandchronicle.com.
“There were some kicks we need to make, no doubt about it,” McDermott said earlier this year. “He knows that. He’s deeply invested in his teammates and this team, and I’m very confident that he’s gonna do what’s necessary this offseason to get himself just right.”
Bass took the miss against the Chiefs hard.
“It's completely on me,” Bass said after the game. “I've got to do a better job of getting through to my target. I've got to do a better job of playing it a little bit more left when you have a left to right (wind). I love this team and it hurts. Totally on me.”
And during this year’s training camp he’s authored a handful of missed kicks. Even though the Bills didn’t bring in a challenger, it could happen during the season if Bass doesn’t find a way to correct his issues.
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