PITTSFORD - Jim Leonhard didn’t need long to get to the point on Thursday: training camp is here, and he’s enjoying it.
The Buffalo Bills were back on the field at St. John Fisher University, and the defensive coordinator said the first day had the kind of energy that makes camp feel worthwhile.
“Day 1 was awesome. It’s always great to get back on the field - you take a day off or take a break after OTAs, after the mini camps, and you’re just kind of itching to get back and reminding yourself to hold yourself back.
It’s not really get real ‘til the pads come on, but it was awesome to watch the guys run around. They did an awesome job during the break of studying and just so much more comfortable than what we were in the spring.”
Leonhard said the Bills’ work on the first day reflected a group that already understands more of what’s being asked of it.
“I think we have a smart group that understands the differences of that and how it can help them, right? How it can free up offensive linemen, which is what you want to do in the NFL, man.
You want to take some of the double teams off and make it a little bit harder for those guys up front. So we have a smart group that understands what that’s all about, and they’re excited to have the opportunity to go make plays.”
The coordinator also pointed to the challenge of speeding up the learning curve with a roster that includes new faces.
“My job, being a professional is to try to make that break-in period as short as possible, right? There’s always one because you’re learning new players.
They’re learning me, right? They’re getting - we’re getting comfortable with each other.
Over communicating is probably the number one thing that I can do.”
Leonhard said the non-contact setting remains one of the biggest hurdles in camp, especially when it comes to evaluating a defense.
“That’s one of the biggest separators in the NFL, right. Is who can tackle and who can’t tackle, right.
And there’s a natural element, right. If guys don’t bite coming out of college, it’s hard to turn them into great tacklers.
But as a coaching staff, like you have to emphasize it. You have to find ways to be creative to create the finish part of a tackle because that’s not happening, right.
There’s so much where you have to protect your guys and protect the team with the length of the season. But I think ultimately one of the biggest separators in the NFL is can you turn the tape on and you see a team that tackles really well or a team that’s inconsistent, so it’s a huge focus of ours.”
He also stressed how much of coaching in this setting comes down to teaching details without letting bad habits creep in.
“You’re talking to a guy who broke his leg in practice being physical. So, there is a give and a take, right.
You have to get guys to understand there’s only one way to play the game, right. You have to play it with a certain intensity.
Does not mean you have to take guys to the ground. I mean, you can teach a lot of things in the settings that we do.
You have to be careful that you’re not teaching bad habits indirectly, right. As far as pad level and finish and that type of stuff.
So, I think how we emphasize things in the meetings and some of the drill work we do early in practice has to be correct in order to continue to build.”
For Leonhard, that balance between teaching and protecting is part of the job every day, but Thursday’s opening session still had the right feel. After the spring work, the Bills were back together, and the defensive coordinator sounded like a coach who was glad to have the next phase underway.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Concern
The Bills secondary had already been a point of interest this offseason with C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining the team on a one-year deal, bringing the kind of versatility and edge Buffalo hoped would sharpen the back end of its defense. But his recent exit from a game quickly shifted the conversation from fit and role to simple availability, as trainers and teammates surrounded him after he went down.
Gardner-Johnson was unable to continue and was carted off after an apparent issue with his right foot, leaving Buffalo with an uneasy wait on a player it had just added to help stabilize the secondary. For a defense that is still sorting out new pieces, the sight of a veteran defensive back going down like that is the sort of development the Bills can ill afford this early. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]