Bills offensive rookies impress at Tuesday's training camp session

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By ESPN Buffalo

Here are some observations and video from Tuesday's practice session at Buffalo Bills training camp in Orchard Park:

Participation:

Missed practice:

  • WR - Gabriel Davis (leg contusion)
  • WR - Robert Foster (concussion protocol)
  • FB - Patrick DiMarco (neck soreness)
  • DT - Ed Oliver (hip)
  • Wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and linebacker Vosean Joseph were in red non-contact jerseys.
  • Cornerback Levi Wallace and offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe returned after missing Monday.

Rookies impressed:

Three offensive rookies were impressive, for different reasons:

  • Wide receiver Isiah Hodgins made several contested catches. For a tall receiver, he runs very fluid routes and uses his length well to catch the ball away from his body. One catch was a perfectly timed jump to grab it over the head of cornerback Levi Wallace.
  • Running back Zack Moss had three or four impressive runs. Granted, there is no live tackling happening right now and defenders are going "thud-up," as head coach Sean McDermott calls it (making contact and wrapping up, if possible), but you could tell Moss was still tough to get a handle on, especially as he got going the open field.
  • Fullback Reggie Gilliam caught a deep pass from Josh Allen for a touchdown in 7-on-7 work. Linebacker A.J. Klein was in coverage and Gilliam had a step on him.

Allen's Day

After a really strong performance on Monday, quarterback Josh Allen had a much more uneven day. There were definitely some pin-point strikes, but also some balls that went into no-man's land, where he either missed or there was poor communication between him and his receivers.

Allen was actually picked off by safety Micah Hyde for, what would have been, a touchdown the other way on the very first play of 11-on-11 work (intended for Stefon Diggs), but then came right back with two darts for completions in traffic on the next two plays.

Kicking battle

On Tuesday, rookie kicker Tyler Bass was 6-for-9 during the live field goal portion of practice. On Wednesday, veteran Stephen Hauschka was 6-for-7, missing on a 53-yarder after connecting from between 37 and 50 yards the previous five kicks. After the miss, he then was good from 53 yards to wrap-up. Bass didn't attempt any kicks.

Play of the Day

Wide receiver Duke Williams turned in the Play of the Day when he went high on a jump ball and took it right out of the hands of rookie cornerback Ike Brown as the two were battling for it. Williams not only did a great job to make the catch at the highest point, but he had the presence of mind to secure it as he was headed to the ground, and was able to tuck it in before hitting the turf. It was a big-time catch from the second-year player fighting for a spot.

Ending

Monday's practice ended with wide receiver John Brown catching a deep pass from Allen against Tre'Davious White. On Tuesday, White got his revenge. On the second-to-last play overall, Allen tried to hit Diggs in the end zone, but White was there to make a really nice pass breakup. Just as White was breaking it up, Hyde and fellow safety Jordan Poyer were also getting there and made sure Diggs didn't have a chance, which shows how much attention Diggs got on the play after the ball was in the air.

On the very last play, the offense attempted a two-point conversion. The defense had terrific coverage across the field and the ball fell incomplete from Allen. Defenders celebrated the same way the offense did a day earlier.

Here is a full Twitter thread of videos from Tuesday's practice:

The team will be back on the field Wednesday morning.

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