When the Buffalo Bills hit the training camp field at the end of July, it’s going to look a lot different than in past years. For the last nine seasons, Sean McDermott has been in charge of the team, but that’s no longer the case. Joe Brady is now the head coach, and there should be some changes to training camp.
Brady has already led the Bills through some workouts this summer, including rookie camp, OTAs and mini-camp. Running back James Cook told “Good Morning Football” on Tuesday that there is a shift in energy with Brady running the team.
“I mean, it’s just a new energy in the building,” Cook said, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “It’s going to always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in — a young one, too, at that. I mean, Joe’s a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach. I mean, he’s got a new energy. That’s what I feel like.”
The Bills Needed a Head Coaching Change
Brady has been with the Bills since 2022, initially working as a quarterbacks coach before stepping up to the interim offensive coordinator role after Buffalo let go of Ken Dorsey midseason. Most of the Bills players are already familiar with Brady, but this time things are different since he’s now in charge of the entire team, not just the offense.
There could be a lot of changes in training camp and in how Brady likes to do things, which is why Cook might think there is new energy on the team.
Cook Ranked No. 7 Among NFL RB’s
Cook did a great job in Brady’s offense last season. He led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards and also scored 12 touchdowns. Despite his impressive performance, he did not make ESPN’s top five list.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is conducting a series in which he surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to help rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions. On July 6, he focused on running backs.
Cook came in at No. 7 on the list, which is kind of surprising, and Fowler thought that as well.
“Cook should probably be ranked higher based on his overall body of work, but older players in front of him won’t relinquish the votes. He was close to surpassing [Derrick] Henry but ultimately didn’t,” Fowler wrote.
Even though Cook didn’t break the top five, one AFC executive had high praise for him.
“He has a three-down skill set, pass-game value, inside run ability and a speed threat on the outside,” an AFC executive said. “[He] has become a complete player,” Fowler added.
Cook signed a four-year, $46 million deal last season, and he earned every penny of it. There was some speculation that the Bills wouldn’t re-sign Cook, especially since he didn’t report to training camp until late July and began to hold in, meaning he was present at camp but did not participate in practices. Buffalo finally reached a deal in August, and now he will look to continue his strong play this fall.
Bills’ James Cook Offers Revealing Comment on Joe Brady’s First Summer as Head Coach