Final observations and takeaways as the Buffalo Bills wrap up mandatory minicamp

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The next time we see the Buffalo Bills on the field, it will be in Rochester for training camp. On Thursday, the team had a walkthrough, officially wrapping up mandatory minicamp. All players were accounted for, and no contract disputes were overshadowing what actually happened on the field.

So what did we learn from the three days of work in Orchard Park?

The Bills are relatively healthy heading into the summer

During the two practices the media are allowed to watch, the only players missing were Spencer Brown, Cole Bishop, Skyler Bell, and Dorian Williams.

Brown, Bishop, and Bell were all spotted at practice off to the side. Bishop told reporters he had a knee scope and will be ready for camp. Bell was catching balls on the JUGS machine and also appears to have a short-term injury.

Given Brown’s previous back injuries, there’s a chance this is the Bills making sure he doesn’t tweak something before the long break. But Dorian Williams' injury remains a bit of a mystery. I did see him off to the side with crutches on Tuesday but never saw him after that.

Linebacker battle

With Williams sidelined, Kaleb Elarms-Orr got valuable reps at linebacker and has impressed up to this point.

Elarms-Orr is all business but takes great pride in leading a defense. He told me he’s used to calling the shots on that side of the ball, so making sure everyone is on the same page is his job, even as a rookie.

“You’ve got to know what everyone's doing, or it's kind of hard for you to do your own job,” Elarms-Orr said. “So just knowing how offenses are gonna attack you and knowing what everyone's doing around you and making different checks. I mean, I take a lot of pride in that, and I look forward to doing it this season.”

The vet helping the rookie

Bradley Chubb and T.J. Parker were talking about their summer plans. When Parker told Chubb what he was doing, the veteran pass rusher invited the Bills' top selection from the 2026 NFL Draft to train with him in Florida.

“I was super excited about that, and, you know, just can't wait to continue building that bond,” Parker said. “It means a lot to me, you know, just for him to show, you know, he doesn't have to do that; he's a veteran guy. He can go work out and train by himself, but for him to invite me. That means a lot to me, so I really appreciate that.”

You can watch our full conversation with more observations and analysis in the video at the top of the page!