After a delay to their offseason schedule due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Bills players finally have started to get on the field and hit each other. With preseason games still canceled, each day of practice held in Orchard Park is that much more important before the team’s season opener against the Jets on Sept. 13.
After a slow Day 3 of practice, things really got going on the fourth day of work as the team took to Bills Stadium and had full, live sessions with hitting going on. The overlying headline was Josh Norman’s injury. We’re still waiting for an update from that, but there was plenty more to observe from Thursday’s action, too.
With that, here are three main takeaways from Day 4 of Bills training camp practices:
We understand AJ now
So it was a bit of a surprise to hear something on Wednesday. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott revealed via video conference that the team is putting a lot of stock into rookie second-round pick AJ Epenesa. Most figured he’d be a rotational piece along the Bills’ defensive line. But no one really thought he’d play multiple positions along it, especially as a rookie… but he is.
Epenesa said he’s learning all of this on the go, but he’s not opposed to taking all the reps he can, where ever he can.
“I mean, every position on the line you can think of, that’s where I’ve been playing. I’m trying to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” he said on Wednesday. “That’s really what’s trying to happen. I’m being put in situations where I haven’t really been put in before and trying to learn and improve on those to make me a more versatile player across the line.”
But it appears we know why the Bills are confident in Epenesa in every spot, which includes potentially the 3-tech spot where Ed Oliver is the expected starter, and the 1-tech location where Star Lotulelei will be missed due to his opt out. Epenesa, taking this rep and heading toward the interior of the offensive line, completely blows a play up.
Just wow:
Rookie Epenesa vs. 7 year NFL vet Brian Winters. Epenesa is an absolute beast pic.twitter.com/2YXS7eZbqt
— Slacker Sports (@Slack_Sports) August 20, 2020