Sean McDermott appreciates most Bills attending voluntary Organized Team Activities

[Billy Buffalo]

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Despite their union encouraging them to stay home, the vast majority of Bills players have chosen to attend voluntary Organized Team Activities. Bills coach Sean McDermott appreciates that.

“It’s really good to have the players here. I really appreciate the participation and numbers that have shown up for us,” McDermott said, via the Buffalo News. “I know it’s obviously varied around the league, but we’re certainly encouraged by the guys that we have here and I think it really speaks to the guys that we have, the types of people we have. They want to get better, and they know they get better by being here and it’s time to build our team, right? When you can be around each other, build the team, build the chemistry, that’s so important to good teams.”

Although teams don’t announce OTA attendance, the Buffalo News counted 78 of the 88 players currently under contract, or 89 percent of the roster, participating in the on-field work that reporters were allowed to observe.

McDermott said he believes there’s good mutual respect in Buffalo between the coaches’ desire to get work in during the offseason and the players’ collectively bargained right not to have to work at this time of year.

“We’ve had good communication. I think it flowed freely with our captains, particularly this time of year,” McDermott said. “We went on a call – several calls – and had good dialogue. There’s things that are important for bringing a team together. And it’s hard to bring a team together when you’re physically not together. The other side of it, though, is respecting the agreement that’s in place and also respecting some of their concerns. I think we tried to do a good job listening, as best we could, and hearing their concerns and then adjusting where and when we could.”