Asked following practice Tuesday at One Bills Drive with whom and where he's trained this offseason, second-year Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis pointed to ADPRO Sports Training Center.
Many players across the NFL choose to spend their offseason away from their team's respective home city. Other locales can provide warmer weather to train outdoors or position-specific coaches with whom they have long-standing relationships.
Western New York has become Davis' home, though, and following an encouraging rookie season in the Bills' backfield, he wanted to spend as much time as possible around their strength and conditioning coach, Will Greenberg.
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Bills running back Ray Davis, left, is entering his second NFL season. Derek Gee, Buffalo News
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Encouraged but not satisfied by a debut campaign that included 442 rushing yards, Davis set out to become a better blocker and more reliable receiving threat. He wants to earn enough trust from the coaching staff to be on the field more often in Year 2 with the Bills.
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Davis got his wish Tuesday morning at their first of six voluntary OTA practices, albeit under less-than-ideal circumstances for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. James Cook, the Bills' two-time Pro Bowl running back, remained absent in an effort to secure a contract extension, which led to more first-team snaps for Davis and Ty Johnson.
"I’ve just been enjoying the process," said Davis. "All of us are with the 1s. There’s no depth chart right now. There’s no No. 1 guy or No. 2 guy. We’re all just going in and playing our game and putting our best foot forward. As a collective unit, we’re getting better. You’ve seen guys make those jumps. ... It’s not a one-man show right now. It’s all about sticking together."
Cook's dynamism has transformed the Bills' offense into one of the best in the NFL. He has consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, the latter of which included a franchise record-tying 16 touchdowns. The 2022 second-round draft pick joined O.J. Simpson as the only Bills with at least 20 touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs. He's an explosive runner and reliable receiver who helped Buffalo rank second in the NFL in total touchdowns last season.
Over the past two regular seasons, Cook ranks sixth in the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,834), second in yards per touch (5.5) and he's tied for sixth with 24 scrimmage touchdowns.
Davis' production didn't wow during his rookie season. He averaged 3.9 yards per attempt on 113 carries and ran for three touchdowns. The former University of Kentucky standout also caught 17 passes for 189 yards, eight first downs and three touchdowns.
The circumstances weren't ideal, though. Davis faced an eight-man box on 31.86% of his snaps, the fourth-highest rate among NFL running backs, according to Next Gen Stats, and the bulk of his rushing attempts were in the fourth quarter, when opponents knew the Bills were going to try to drain the clock. Yet his total of 18.8 rush attempts per broken tackle was the 14th-best mark in the league, and he averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 18 red-zone opportunities.
Davis has the speed to shoot through holes created by one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and he has the strength to shed tacklers when he reaches the second level of the defense.
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Bills running back Ray Davis finds room to roam against the Ravens during the AFC divisional playoff game at Highmark Stadium in January. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
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As a rookie, Davis had runs of 23, 22, 16 and 15 yards. His role was mainly on first and second downs, as 91.2% of his rushing attempts were in those situations. He wants to prove that he can be on the field more often, though, and the path to an expanded role is improving as a runner and pass catcher. Davis caught only two passes on third and fourth downs, but he's capable of explosive plays. He had catches of 63 and 42 yards to average 9.9 yards per target.
"There’s a lot of things I want to continue to get better at, but I focus on keeping the main thing the main thing – going out there and having fun," he said. "You’re not going to win anything right now. You’re not going to jump ahead of anybody. It’s about trying to really clean up on the little small technique things so when you get to training camp you’ll be able to showcase."
It would be a surprise if Cook weren't at mandatory minicamp next month. He'll need to be in attendance to avoid fines of $16,459 (first day), $32,920 (second day) and $49,374 (third day). His salary for 2025 ranks 18th among NFL running backs, but negotiations between his agent and the Bills did not produce a contract extension. They're not expected to come to terms before the season, either, and he doesn't have the leverage to hold out.
Johnson will remain the Bills' third-down running back, particularly in passing situations, but Davis would be in line to start if Cook misses any time with injury this season.
Coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Joe Brady have seen what Davis can accomplish with a heavier workload. With Cook out because of a toe injury on "Monday Night Football" in Week 6, Davis rushed 97 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 55 yards, including a 42-yard grab while quarterback Josh Allen was scrambling to his right to avoid pressure. More successful end-zone runs may also lead to more opportunities.
"I can remember when we played the Jets in that sixth week on a Monday night, he had such a huge impact on the game in how he ran and his physicality and understanding where to cut," said Bills guard Dave Edwards. "I think these reps are great for him, but along with Ray, every back we have – James, Ray, Ty — are special backs and they can all do great things and bring different flavors, but I’m excited for Ray to take another step forward."
News sports reporter Ryan O'Halloran contributed to this story.
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