Updating a previous report, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News is now reporting that pending league approval, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills have both agreed to joint practice sessions this year during training camp.
The hope is that these joint practices will take place annually moving forward and that they will start this year with the Steelers hosting three of them at Saint VincentCollege in Latrobe, PA. Next year, the Bills would host the Steelers for three practices at St. JohnFisherCollege in Rochester, NY.
Bills head coach Doug Marrone was the one to propose the idea, according to Graham, however, according to Bills general manager Doug Whaley, the practices will not be set in stone until the league releases its preseason schedule as dates and times of the exhibition games could impede the plan.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Whaley told Graham Tuesday morning at the NFL owners’ meetings. “One, it breaks up the monotony of camp. Two, it gives you a chance to evaluate your players against other players in practice setting.
“After all summer of going up against the same guys, the same guys, you might slip into a false sense of reality. This will set the bar a little higher.”
