ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In his first offseason as head coach Joe Brady set clear goals for the Buffalo Bills, and quarterback Josh Allen summarized them as “Connect, compete, condition.” After three days of mandatory minicamp — two full practices and a walk-through — Allen said those goals were met, adding: “We’re competing at a very high level. Guys are flying around; we’ve done a good job of connecting.”
One clear storyline is the left guard competition between free-agent addition Austin Corbett and returning backup Alec Anderson. Practices suggested Corbett holds an early edge, but Brady noted offseason limits on physicality make some evaluations difficult. Anderson has been active for all 17 games the last two seasons and started six; he originally signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Corbett is a nine-year veteran who spent the last four seasons with the Carolina Panthers and was coached by Aaron Kromer on the 2020 Rams.
The offensive line also saw staff turnover: former Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer retired this offseason and Brady hired Pat Meyer, who previously worked under Kromer. Center Connor McGovern said Corbett’s background in the Kromer coaching tree is helpful, while he credited Anderson’s recent role for slowing the game down for him and improving his processing. Anderson said he plans to be aggressive at training camp and let his play determine outcomes.
Running back James Cook participated in mandatory minicamp after skipping voluntary sessions open to the media; he said family in Miami was the reason for his earlier absences. Cook signed a four-year extension and finished the 2025 season with the NFL rushing title (1,621 yards), career highs in carries (309) and 68 rushing first downs. He said he is “ready to go” for another workload but wants to secure the ball better after six fumbles in 2025. Brady called Cook a player with a great work ethic and approach.
Brady and Allen also discussed offseason group work. There is a roughly six-week gap between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp, and Allen has planned late-June or mid-July sessions for offensive players. Brady said those get-togethers are valuable not only for throwing but for teammates breaking bread and building off-field connections, reinforcing the club’s offseason priorities.
