Sean McDermott put on a happy face Tuesday.
The Buffalo Bills’ head coach was asked publicly for the first time what he feels about his team being chosen for HBO’s docuseries “Hard Knocks.”
“To some extent, it's, I think, a real compliment to them choosing us,” McDermott said before the Bills’ first organized team activity of the spring.
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Bills coach Sean McDermott said he's excited for his team's fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at the team as part of HBO's "Hard Knocks" docuseries. Derek Gee, Buffalo News
Let’s be clear about one thing: The Bills didn’t have a choice in the matter. The NFL altered the rules earlier this year that had previously allowed teams coming off a playoff appearance the previous season to opt out of being considered for the show. It’s a safe bet that had that rule not been changed, the Bills would have exercised their opt-out option.
Whether the Bills wanted to be on the show or not – they are. Period. End of story.
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With that in mind, the right approach is to try to make the best out of the experience.
“You can look at it one of two ways. Are you trying to walk through the door of, ‘Hey, getting closer and closer to success, or are you walking through the door every morning of fear of failure, right?’ ” McDermott said. “So we choose to walk the door of, ‘Hey, we try and move ourselves closer and closer every day to being successful as an individual, team, and organization,' so that's the approach that we take.”
McDermott even cracked a joke about the whole thing.
“You guys know me. I’m very open, so …” he said, fighting back a smile the whole time.
The truth is, the head coach has softened a bit entering his ninth year on the job. It’s hard to imagine the Bills appearing on “Hard Knocks” a year or two into McDermott’s tenure, when he felt the need to exert more control over the entire operation.
Showing the sensitive moments and decisions that NFL teams have to make is what makes “Hard Knocks” so compelling. It’s also what teams generally prefer to keep out of the public eye.
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The Buffalo Bills may not have wanted to do this, but now the key is embracing it and not fighting it. This is free advertising for the Bills’ brand and their players.
“We say the opportunity is there for us to, No. 1, our fans that they can get an inside look, a little of what happens,” McDermott said. “Is it 100% inside? Maybe not. What percent it is, is it 10%, 20%, 50%, who knows? But there's a lot that we do that they'll see, which I think is great for the fans.”
In the next breath, McDermott said there is a lot that fans won’t see, too, which suggest that the Bills will be as cautious as possible about not letting things out of the building that they don’t want out.
Surely, general manager Brandon Beane can call his friend and former assistant general manager, Joe Schoen, to learn more. Schoen, now GM of the New York Giants, last year was featured in one of the most famous scenes of "Hard Knocks" – when he informed the agent for running back Saquon Barkley that the Giants would not be able to reach a certain price.
Barkley, of course, went on to have an amazing season for the Philadelphia Eagles – the Giants’ divisional rivals – and the clip has not aged well for Schoen.
The Bills will want to avoid that type of potential land mine.
“The real challenge to us is the authenticity of who we are and building that critical trust that is so important to building a good, healthy relationship among players, among staff,” McDermott said. “With that, that trust piece is huge in terms of bringing the team together as well. So that part, that glue part, is going to be challenged because of that third component, if you will, whether it's a microphone, a camera, in different rooms, in different conversations. But we are who we are. And that authenticity piece must stay intact.”
The Bills have a handful of players who have appeared on "Hard Knocks" before. Wide receiver Elijah Moore was part of the Cleveland Browns last season. They were featured on the in-season "Hard Knocks." Quarterback Mike White was previously with the Miami Dolphins on the in-season "Hard Knocks," while safety Taylor Rapp, defensive end Michael Hoecht and guard David Edwards were all part of the 2020 Los Angeles Rams in the training camp version of the show.
“I would tell them that I hope they don't notice the cameras so that it becomes a distraction, and then you're not yourself,” Edwards said. “My thing is, they're going to be there so show them who you are. Don't do anything less or more when they're around.”
The Rams had a strong team in 2020, making the divisional round of the playoffs before winning the Super Bowl the following year.
Moore’s experience with the Browns was different. Although he said it was a tight group in Cleveland with a lot of “jokesters” who kept the mood light, the Browns went 3-14.
“At the end of the day, they get to see the personality in the room, and I think that's what a lot of people really want to see,” Moore said. “I think it's a (personal) preference for players. There are already cameras everywhere. It's just, ‘Are you ok, comfortable, with having the camera this close to you, observing the quiet conversations?’ Some people like it and some people don't.”
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