Change is good
You have to hand it to Dick Jauron.
He is not taking the safe route in his first year as coach of the Buffalo Bills. Jauron is being somewhat bold and daring in his approach to training camp.
Through the first several days of workouts, the Bills -- are you ready for this? -- weren't even in pads. That's right. No pads, no contact.
This is training camp we're talking about here, folks. This is the time when pads are supposed to pop, when all of the running around in T-shirts and shorts that players did through spring and early summer is supposed to give way to something that more closely simulates game conditions. When training camp begins, guys are supposed to hit and be hit.
Unless, of course, you happened to be at Bills camp on the campus of St. John Fisher College last weekend. The workouts looked similar to those the team conducted through the offseason. The pads would not be worn until this week. And double sessions? They ended before the pads were on.
Pretty radical stuff.
I'm aware that other clubs have looked to scale back camp workouts, especially two-a-days, with the thought that it would help allow players to be fresh (and reduce their chances for injury) once the season begins. But this is different. This is a case of a coach who, despite taking over a struggling and underachieving team, has resisted the temptation to try and bully his players into becoming more competitive.
Nothing says bullying better than long, hard practices, in full gear, under the blazing sun and in smothering humidity. But that isn't what Jauron believes the Bills need. He sees their best chances for improvement (beyond finding a competent starting quarterback and having a healthy Takeo Spikes back in the lineup) coming from a better understanding of the new offensive and defensive schemes he and his coaches are putting in place. Leave it to the Ivy Leaguer from Yale to place teaching ahead of hitting.
"They've been away from us for about five to six weeks, and I'd like to get them back into it," Jauron said. "I'd like to get back to the basics and start teaching again. We like to start a little bit slower. Not in terms of speed, but the teaching, really, to just re-introduce them to practice and how to practice with each other.
"We've got plenty of time in training camp and through the preseason to get the pads on, have some drills, see some pass rush and things of that nature."
I'm willing to give Jauron the benefit of the doubt. He has been a head coach before, with the Chicago Bears and he served as interim coach of the Detroit Lions last season. He is experienced enough and smart enough to see and understand the big picture, to know what must be accomplished and the realistic time frame in which to complete it.
But he is taking a risk. Will players feel a much-needed sense of urgency when they're eased into drills and spending limited time on the field? Will they have enough up-tempo execution to fully grasp the new offensive and defensive systems in time for the regular season? Will coaches be able to make accurate assessments on talent? Will the team be ready to bear down and be as physical as necessary when the games count?
"Two-a-days are over and I haven't put a pad on yet?" linebacker London Fletcher said. "I'm happy with that. Coach Jauron has a tremendous plan in place, keeping guys fresh. We're not out here a long time, but we're getting a lot done."
We'll see.
