Five things we learned during the Bills’ offseason program

Sal Maiorana | Democrat and Chronicle

Show Caption Hide Caption Raw video: Sean McDermott wraps up Buffalo's mini-camp The head coach discusses his impressions of Josh Allen after the mandatory mini-camp.

ORCHARD PARK — The horn blew Thursday afternoon signifying the end of the Buffalo Bills’ mandatory mini-camp and, thus, the start of a nearly six-week summer vacation, so you can imagine the whoops and hollers that filled the windy air along One Bills Drive.

You can argue how much no-pads OTA and mini-camp practices in the spring mean to the future success or failure of an NFL team, so I never read very much into what takes place during these two-plus months of touch football.

But for the Bills, this time was valuable on two fronts: They were installing a new offensive system coordinated by Brian Daboll, while trying to figure out who their quarterback will be come opening day; and given that their offense could very well struggle, it was a time for the Bills to hone in on improving an already pretty good defense because that unit may be required to lead the way in 2018.

In saying he was “very happy” with how the offseason program went, coach Sean McDermott added, “The second year when you go through it, you see progress in areas that not everyone sees because it’s not obvious, it’s not on the scoreboard, but it’s in there. Every corner of our building, we have to pick up points and I’ve seen that this offseason. We’re further ahead this year than last year, still a lot of work to do, and now this time off, it’s a chance to hit the reset button and get some rest for our players as we head toward Rochester.”

Here are five things we learned during the Bills’ two-month offseason program:

Josh Allen isn’t the starting quarterback

The Bills’ first-round draft pick was eased into his transition to the NFL, and McDermott made no bones about it — Allen operated with the third-team because at this early stage, he was behind A.J. McCarron and Nathan Peterman not only in experience and NFL status, but in viability. It figures to be a long haul for Allen in his quest to become what the Bills are hoping for, their long-term franchise quarterback. And it may not happen in training camp, either.

“Brian Daboll and David Culley have done a nice job of acclimating Josh to the system in the right dosage,” said McDermott. “Really, to Josh’s credit, we’ve not held back all that much to this point. One of the things that goes a little bit under the radar is understanding the defense as well; before you walk, you’ve got to crawl and a big part of the learning curve for quarterbacks is understanding the opponent and the defense and the way defenses work in this case.”

It was clear in the OTA and mini-camp practices that Allen has all the physical gifts that led him to being the seventh overall pick. Wednesday, for instance, the wind was howling on the practice field, and Allen’s throws cut through the gusts without much problem. He has a cannon, and that 6-foot-5, 240-pound body is blessed with impressive athleticism which you see on bootlegs and scrambles, but what still has to come is the mechanics, the footwork, the understanding of the playbook, the familiarity with his teammates.

There is no rush to thrust Allen into the fire. That’s why McCarron was signed, to be the placeholder until the rookie is ready to go. As for McCarron, he looked perfectly competent to me in the limited opportunities the media had to watch practice. And here’s the thing: He doesn’t want to be a placeholder. He has coupled that with his own desire to take advantage of his first opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the NFL after four years as Andy Dalton’s backup.

The offensive line is a work in progress

Line coach Juan Castillo has a daunting task ahead of him in training camp as he essentially has to reconstruct his group after the departures of Eric Wood, Richie Incognito and Cordy Glenn. With the exception of left tackle, where Dion Dawkins is locked in after replacing the injured Glenn last season, the other four spots are wide open.

Right guard Vlad Ducasse and right tackle Jordan Mills, who started all of 2017 in those positions, have been there throughout the offseason, while free agent signee Russell Bodine and holdover Ryan Groy have worked at center and left guard, respectively.

But John Miller and fifth-round rookie Wyatt Teller will provide competition at the guard spots, and Conor McDermott and free agent signee Marshall Newhouse will be in the mix for Mills’ job. And there could be others who emerge.

More: Wyatt Teller's Taco Bell binges are probably over as he begins his Buffalo Bills career

McCoy doesn't sugarcoat it: Losing Wood and Incognito a big blow for him and Bills offense

"Guys have got to step up,” said running back LeSean McCoy, who’s continued excellence is tied directly to the line coming together. “It’s kind of a sign of opportunity and what you do with it. We’ll see. We have some good backups and guys competing for starting jobs. It’s what the NFL is all about. I mean, who was Tom Brady before Tom Brady? He got an opportunity, (and) he made the best of it. Everybody has an opportunity.”

Tremaine Edmunds is a stud

Unlike Allen, the Bills’ other first-round pick was plugged into the middle of McDermott’s defense from day one, and hasn’t been challenged. Unless an injury derails him this summer, Edmunds will be calling the signals, and wreaking havoc for the Bills, starting on opening day in Baltimore.

“It’s a challenge coming in as a rookie for sure, and then being a middle linebacker to lead, you’re in a leadership role,” said defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. “Up to this point, he’s handled it extremely well, so I don’t really see any indication that that won’t continue. He’ll just continue to progress as he goes along and we’ll just continue to put a little bit more on his plate as he goes.”

Outside of quarterback, I considered linebacker the most pressing need for the Bills leading up to the draft, and McDermott and Brandon Beane did an excellent job of making the move to get Edmunds. He fits exactly what they lacked, an every-down linebacker who can play the run and pass, and direct traffic. As Frazier said, it’s an enormous burden for a kid who just turned 20, but Edmunds looks like he can handle it.

Still vast uncertainty at wide receiver

This was the case when the offseason began, it remains so as the offseason ends. No matter who ends up winning the quarterback job, completing passes will be a challenge given the crop of targets the Bills are currently trotting out.

Kelvin Benjamin is the best of the bunch, especially if he regains the form he showed in 2014 and 2016 in Carolina (he missed all of 2015). A knee injury ruined the bulk of his time with the Bills after he was traded here on Halloween, but he’s healthy after surgery, he looked good in these workouts, and the Bills need him to perform to expectation, and beyond.

After Benjamin, who can the Bills count on? Zay Jones had a rough rookie year and an even more alarming past few months between surgeries and personal problems; Jeremy Kerley is just a run-of-the-mill free agent; Andre Holmes, Kaelin Clay, and Rod Streater are bottom of the depth chart veterans; and Brandon Reilly, Ray-Ray McCloud, Austin Proehl, Malachi Dupre, Robert Foster and Cam Phillips have very little, or zero, NFL experience.

“That’s part of our challenge of proving people wrong,” McDermott said of the questionable position group. “There’s a couple other guys who have made big plays in this part of the process, OTAs and mini-camp. Each and every day a new player was making a play. It will bode for an interesting training camp and one where we’re counting on guys to step up, so we have a lot of work to do in that regard.”

The defense has a chance to be good

Year two with McDermott will bring a greater understanding of his 4-3 scheme, and even though the Bills are plugging some new players in, with the exception of Edmunds, they are NFL veterans who should raise the level of play across the board.

Up front, Star Lotulelei and Trent Murphy were signed as free agents, and Harrison Phillips was picked in the third round of the draft. All three will instantly improve the play of the line even before you factor in holdovers Jerry Hughes, Kyle Williams, Eddie Yarbrough, Shaq Lawson and Adolphus Washington. Plus, Rickey Hatley and Ona Odighizuwa have made an impression in the spring sessions and will push for roster spots.

Edmunds and a full year of Matt Milano helps at the middle level, while Lorenzo Alexander can fill a variety of roles on a limited basis. And then in the secondary, cornerback Tre’Davious White is already one of the best players on the team; the safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer is excellent; veteran cornerback Vontae Davis could be an upgrade over departed E.J. Gaines; and rookie fourth-rounder Taron Johnson will have a chance to replace Leonard Johnson at nickel cornerback.

MAIORANA@Gannett.com