Mike White believed he had the right approach entering his second NFL training camp in 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys: Keep track of what Cooper Rush 鈥 his rival to be Dak Prescott鈥檚 backup 鈥 was doing and try to answer emphatically.
鈥淵ou get so caught up in, 鈥業鈥檓 in a competition and I have to beat this guy out,鈥 鈥 White said. 鈥淵ou might go second after him (during a practice period) and he makes a really good play and you鈥檙e like, 鈥(Dang), I have to match that.鈥 But my play might not be open.鈥
White lost the competition to Rush, but the end in Dallas equaled the start of a new mindset.
鈥淵ou sit down and have those self-talks 鈥 (getting cut by Dallas) was the worst thing that could happen at the time, but I got through it, and now you go play football,鈥 White said. 鈥淔acing that adversity early was the best thing that could happen. It allowed me to go to New York and play freely and be myself.鈥
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Mike White joined the organization after last year鈥檚 training camp and spent the season on the practice squad.
Six years later, when the Buffalo Bills conduct their first training camp practice July 23 in Pittsford, White will lean on all of his past experiences 鈥 Cowboys, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins 鈥 to prepare him for the task of challenging Mitchell Trubisky to be Josh Allen鈥檚 backup.
White started seven games for the Jets in 2021-22, compiling a 2-5 record, with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, then spent 2023 with the Dolphins and joined the Bills after last year鈥檚 preseason.
The Bills liked White鈥檚 work on the practice squad enough to sign him to a one-year contract extension before their Week 17 game at New England, when he went 3 of 11 for 28 yards.
鈥(This offseason) has helped a ton. You get the full progression of learning,鈥 White said. 鈥淲hen I got here, it was Week 1, so Josh is taking all of the 鈥1鈥 reps, and everything I got was on the scout team. So I was running a different offense for 17 games and not getting any reps in our offense until the fourth quarter of the Patriots game 鈥 that was my first time calling our plays in the huddle, much less (running) them.
鈥淎s a backup quarterback, that鈥檚 the life you live.鈥
What does he like about offensive coordinator Joe Brady鈥檚 system?
鈥淛oe lets you take ownership of the offense,鈥 White said. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 one set-in-stone-way of doing things. Josh make take a drop a certain way that is different than me, Mitch or Shane (Buechele). As long as everything is getting completed within the timing of the play and the reads are correct, that鈥檚 what he cares about. It鈥檚 fun in that respect.鈥
The Bills usually keep one backup quarterback on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad. Don鈥檛 rule out White overtaking Trubisky to win the No. 2 job.
鈥淓very offseason, you鈥檙e the returning backup or the new guy,鈥 White said. 鈥(You) focus on playing clean football and putting good stuff on tape, and then let the guys (in the front office) upstairs figure out the rest.鈥
Quick kicks
1. Sharp preview book. Hat tip to Warren Sharp, whose preview guide (all 586 pages of it) became available this week ($29.99 for the PDF version 鈥 a bargain).
The Bills鈥 section covered 18 pages. Some highlights: Allen has 6.3 touchdown passes for every interception in the last five postseasons, the best ratio in the NFL. 鈥 Opponents have averaged 33.2 points in the Bills鈥 last five playoff losses. 鈥 The Bills are an average favorite of 6.2 points at home this year. 鈥 Among the positional rankings, the Bills are second at quarterback, 25th at receiver and eighth on the defensive front seven. 鈥 The defense rushed four on 79% of opponents鈥 dropbacks last year. 鈥 The Bills over-under win total is 11陆.
2. All-time draft. An ambitious and entertaining project by ESPN鈥檚 Ben Solak 鈥 selecting the best pick for every NFL draft slot (Nos. 1-262) 鈥 published Thursday morning and had a Bills flavor.
The Bills were represented with seven selections 鈥 Nos. 86 (receiver Andre Reed, 1985), 111 (cornerback Terrence McGee, 2003), 134 (defensive tackle Kyle Williams, 2006), 148 (receiver Khalil Shakir, 2022), 171 (kicker Gary Anderson, 1982), 185 (cornerback Christian Benford, 2022) and 253 (running back Roland Hooks, 1975).
Among the retired players, Reed played 15 years for the Bills, McGee 10 years, Williams 13 years and Hooks seven years. Anderson never played a game for the Bills, but played 23 seasons.
Running back Thurman Thomas was drafted No. 40, but Solak went with New York Giants pass rusher Michael Strahan, also a good choice.
Also, Allen was drafted seventh overall in 2018. Solak鈥檚 top No. 7 pick is running back Adrian Peterson (Minnesota, 2007) over Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, but Solak wrote, 鈥渨atch out for Josh Allen.鈥
3. Dolphins re-tool. Time to compliment the Miami Dolphins鈥 front office, which is a rarity in this space.
General manager Chris Grier took advantage of Pittsburgh鈥檚 desperation, trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith (plus a 2027 seventh-round pick) to the Steelers.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis makes a touchdown catch on Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on Oct. 9, 2022, at Highmark Stadium. The Dolphins reacquired Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro, earlier this week.
The Dolphins needed to reset after acquiring so many big-name/big-money players and having nothing to show for it. In return, they received safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Dolphins then acquired tight end Darren Waller, who will come out of retirement, after last playing for the Giants in 2023.
The Miami Herald reported that the Dolphins have offered a contract to former Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. On the Dolphins鈥 two-deep are seven new cornerbacks and safeties.
