New Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady took his place at the podium ahead of Tuesday’s Organized Team Activities (OTA) session, with a notable departure from seasons prior: Brady was standing, point out that he’s “not a sitter.” Though that may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, it points to new routine and a different direction at even the smallest of levels. That’s significant when considering how many have openly wondered what, if anything, can truly change off an in-house hire.
Sure,
it’s only May and there’s plenty of room for Bills-focused writers like yours truly to focus on the off-field minutiae. However, we’re that much closer to the start of real football with training camp a couple of months out. What did Joe Brady have to offer reporters? Let’s dive into a few key moments from his latest date at the podium.
This article is in-process and will be updated with more specific information about both Josh Allen and Dalton Kincaid. Be sure to refresh the page after you finish reading.
Expect to see previously injured Bills a part of training camp
Responding to a question asked about the availability of defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Terrel Bernard, Brady said it comes down to properly managing their return-from-injury plan, which includes giving them days off. That’s also allowed some of the team’s newest players a truly necessary chance to acclimate to their surrounding on the field. Brady went on to say that:
“I think we have a great plan for a lot of those guys. The plan is to have these guys ready to go for training camp. Right? So, it’s good to get Ed Oliver out on the football field, and good to get TB, get around these guys, but we gotta be smart about what we’re doing knowing that training camp’s in a month, two months, and we can’t win it all right now. So, if we overdo them ‘em with a lot of reps, we gotta be smart — and we’re installing a new defense. We need to get a lot of guys reps. We drafted some young guys. So, it’s all opportunity with it.”
Whatever you think you understand about Bills’ new defensive philosophy is likely wrong
As a follow-up, Brady was asked about how things may look for both Oliver and Bernard in terms of their fit in the new defense. With so much unknown and many wondering how both players fit into the plan moving forward, it’s natural to be curious what the plan is for guys who’ve played key roles as starters.
Brady admitted that while it’s a different scheme, there are some things that come standard to playing defensive tackle and linebacker, as with any position, going on to state that “I think the calls are different, but the way that, you know, the game is played and how they’re being attacked — once they figure that out at the end of the day, I think it ends up playing the same for them.”
That doesn’t sound like a lot on the surface, but it does help to explain Brady and the team’s confidence in players like Oliver and Bernard being able to (hopefully mostly seamlessly) transition to a new scheme simply because of their innate abilities as starters at the sport’s highest level.
Brady, too, loves going away for training camp
Whether it’s a point of corporate coaching and company philosophy or not, Brady is all-in on going away for training camp. Last fall, the Bills and Saint John Fisher University reached an agreement on a three-year extension to keep training camp on the east side of the Genesee River, which begins with this summer’s camp.
That’s of course fantastic news for Bills Mafia who reside in Rochester and its surrounding areas, which certainly includes a large base of fans in Syracuse and Central New York in general. Going away from their typical work setting has many benefits, not least of which centers around how the team is able to bond.
“We have a great locker room, and a great group of guys that want to be here in Buffalo, want to be around the guys. And it’s part of the reason I enjoy going away for training camp. Right? Is… you go away and the guys are together and they’re connecting. And, you know, this is the time of year that a lot of the guys have homes elsewhere, maybe their families might not come, so the guys are around. So I, you know, whether it’s [in] their contract or not, I think the guys enjoy being around here. It helps that we have some of the news schemes and the new (sic) kind of coming around. But no, I’ve been really pleased with our attendance and I think it’s showing out there.”
What’s the plan at nickel/slot cornerback?
Buffalo doesn’t have an “incumbent” nickel cornerback, someone who locked down the role last season of any prior for the team. What does that mean for 2026? Brady pointed to the team making the position a priority in free agency, stating that:
“We were very intentional about a guy like Dee Alford, you know, and bringing him in and his versatility to be an inside nickel and have the flexibility to play on the outside. Right? And so, one of the perks of being a versatile defense is you’re gonna be playing nickel, you’re gonna play base defense; you’re gonna have a bunch of different packages, and having them — as many guys as we can — move around as possible. And so, you guys’ll see out there today, there’ll be a lot of guys kind of rolling and rotating in that. But, fortunately, we got a guy like Dee that has done that at a high level (going against him) and, [we have] a clear fit and vision for how he’s going to fit in this defense.”
Keon Coleman’s 2026 offseason
There will be no shortage of Keon Coleman coverage this summer, and likely all season. He’s become a very polarizing a player, perhaps on a level similar to prior criticism levied at Aaron Maybin, or even Donte Whitner. However, Coleman has shown to be productive in spots, and he’s still an ascending talent as a wide receiver.
It may simply be that folks are concerned why Coleman can’t seem to consistently click with an all-world talent at quarterback in Josh Allen. Part of that has been due to off-field concerns by the team, which have landed him in administrative hot water. For his part, Coleman seems like a fantastic young man who wants to be great. The key will be finding the right path that unlocks his focus to take the next step. We know that Brady has gone on record essentially saying that his promotion to head coach was the best thing to happen for Coleman’s Bills career. Still… is Brady ready, and confident?
“Keon, the way that he approaches his day — like he knows that some of the elements that happened last year — he, he owned them. Right? And he knew going into this year it’s another opportunity. Right? Like, I made sure once I got the job I let him know he’s gonna be here and he going to be a part of our offense man, and I’m excited about, you know, him progressing in this offense and getting with Josh and doing those things. You know, we communicated a lot this offseason about what he’s doing, what he’s working on and seeing here, coming here, and working and seeing — it’s been really cool to see the perspective from Pete Carmichael, and Drew Terrell, and Bo Hardigree, and like watching training camp reps from last year, watching some things, and then seeing them kind of all come together. But, love the work ethic, love how he’s kind of been doing it right now. Again, it’s — we just had one day going against the defense, right? So, this is a lot of routes on [air or error, unsure here] and just the approach. But that’s been the biggest thing with him, is, you know, establishing, you know, a pro mentality and he’s done everything we’ve asked of him so far.”
Brady was further asked how he “manages” a situation such as what developed with co-owner Terry Pegula calling out Coleman, and also his well-documented attendance record. Brady was able to deflect the bait, realizing that any soundbite willing to meet the specific question’s intent wouldn’t lead to productive discussions.
Yet, Brady understands how important Coleman is to Buffalo’s offense, and he was quick to praise the young wide receiver after being asked about any magnified pressure, saying:
“I don’t think anybody’s ever had higher expectations for [him] than Keon — for himself. I’m not saying, you know, like I’ve never tried to put expectations on player. Right? ‘Cause sometimes you put — sometimes it’s warranted based upon where they’re drafted — but sometimes it’s like ‘hey man, we might be putting them in a box that [they] actually can probably be better than who they are. Right? Keon understands, you know ,the role that he can have in this offense. I think he understands the things that have happened in the past, but he also has known that ‘hey look, there’s going to be things that are going to be questioned about him and he can’t control that. All he can control is what he’s doing moving forward, and not putting any more pressure on himself. Just go out there, run the routes, do your job, man, block in the run game, you know, make the touchdown blocks; do the things that, you know, that he’s capable of doing, and just uphold that standard every single day. And I believe he’ll be able to do that.”
For his part in this equation, a confident Keon Coleman spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s OTA session, admitting he didn’t play well and that this is a make-or-break season for him.
