The Buffalo Bills began OTAs on Tuesday, and while reporters were not allowed to watch practice, several social media images were shared by the team and players leading ESPN’s Mike Rodak to make some assumptions on where and how the players were lining up. All of these assumptions should be taken with an enormous grain of salt at this point in time.
Dion Dawkins shared a picture on Instagram here he’s standing in line with LeSean McCoy behind him. Safe to say it’s the first-team offense. You can see off to the side that Nathan Peterman is the quarterback under center, suggesting he received at least some first-team reps on Tuesday.
To Dawkins’ left is a guard with a jersey number ending in 2. Since Ryan Groy is White, Rodak assumes it is number 62 Vlad Ducasse. Ducasse started a large chunk of the 2017 season as the team’s right guard but Richie Incognito’s retirement opened a new spot. Ryan Groy is in the background over Dawkins’ shoulder with his helmet off and Conor McDermott, number 68, is behind Ducasse and offensive line coach Juan Castillo.
With Ducasse at left guard and Groy watching with his helmet off, it’s probably John Miller at right guard as the team lines up. It’s unlikely coach Sean McDermott would put a rookie out there on Day 1 when his mantra has been “earn it”. Rookie Wyatt Teller could win the job eventually.
In another photo, this one shared by the Bills themselves, we see Trent Murphy on the field with the first-team defense instead of incumbent Shaq Lawson. With the contract he signed this offseason, it’s not really a surprise. Star Lotulelei and Kyle Williams are there, as well, which should shock no one.
Perhaps the bigger surprise in the photo is on the right side of the image, where rookie Tremaine Edmunds is already on the field with the starters. While we expected him to slot in at starting middle linebacker, it’s surprising it’s this early in “The Process.”
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Reporters will actually be allowed to see part of practice on Wednesday, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see different folks lined up at these starting spots throughout OTAs.