The Buffalo Bills open the 2024 season by hosting the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 8. While star quarterback Josh Allen is entering his seventh NFL season in Western New York, this year's Bills team looks much different than the 2023 version.
Four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans and will now catch passes from rising star C.J. Stroud in place of Allen. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde also left as part of the Bills' offseason reshuffle.
The Bills have undergone a fair amount of turnover within their roster throughout the offseason, but not only will one of the team's key offensive members return, the offensive line remains firmly entrenched.
Dion Dawkins was drafted in 2017 and has spent his entire stellar NFL career with Buffalo, including four straight Pro Bowl selections. The star offensive lineman spoke to Fox News Digital about what he's learned after six years blocking for Allen.
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Buffalo Bills player Dion Dawkins watches the game from the sideline before a game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 26, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Dawkins noted that continuity is key for any offensive line.
“Our quarterback has to learn where he's comfortable in the pocket, whether he can stand long (in a particular spot), stand long (somewhere else), stand long (in another spot behind the offensive line)… all the way from left tackle to right tackle. That's where the phrase comes from. We in Buffalo had our entire line all year last year… thank goodness… we were healthy. But every year things change.”
“Ever since I started, I've had different guards next to me. I've been in this league for eight years. I know that, but when you have (that) dude together, it's usually to the quarterback's advantage. Timing, positioning, who's heavier, how to block from a skinny guy to a quick guy, it's a total test.”
Buffalo Bills player Dion Dawkins lines up during the first quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium on Nov. 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Brian Bennett/Getty Images)
When asked which defensive lineman he's looking forward to facing, Dawkins cited Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass rusher and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, but also cited the talent of the entire New York Jets defensive line.
“The Jets have a great defensive line, so (the intensity level) is always high. They're good players, we're good linemen, we talk a lot. There's always clashes, it's just a beautiful battle. But Myles Garrett, the Bengals, the Jets, those teams are very physical teams, and that's why that passion and anger comes out.”
The Jets and Bills both play in the AFC East, giving Dawkins the opportunity to face the Jets' defensive line twice per season.
On the left is offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, and on the right is quarterback Josh Allen. (Ralph Freso/Getty Images/File)
Dawkins' disciplined work has been key to his success on the football field, and he spent a few weeks in California this offseason working with UCLA trainers.
“I went to TruFusion and did sauna and boot camp classes and walked five miles every day,” Dawkins said of some of the methods he used to stay “in top physical condition” for training camp and the regular season.
TruFusion is a fitness and yoga boutique that offers members activities like heated yoga, unheated yoga, Pilates, and fitness boot camps. The company has locations in California, Nevada, and several other states across the United States.
Dawkins acknowledged the loss of a respected voice in the locker room like Diggs and other teammates, but recognized change is inevitable given the business nature of the NFL.
Stefon Diggs (Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Images/File)
“There's a lot of guys that aren't there, but that's the NFL,” Dawkins told NFL Network last month. “Guys come and go, and guys have to be ready. I know whoever's in that position is going to give it their all. No. 14 (Stefon Diggs), No. 21 (Jordan Poyer), No. 23 (Micah Hyde), all of those guys with those numbers might not all look the same, but we're shooting for the stars.”
“Everybody's counting us out, but I'm fine with that. We can fly under the radar and hit everybody with an uppercut. I'm totally fine with that, but I'll be cheering them on from afar. It's definitely different and I'm still adjusting to it. I'm trying to answer it, but I'm just adjusting to it every day, because it's different. It's really different.”
When it comes to fashion, Dawkins frequently showcases his unique style on his social media platforms. He frequently collaborates with personal shoppers. Dawkins also said that because of his body type, he always has to plan ahead to ensure he has enough time to source custom pieces.
“I have shoppers in my store who are like stylists,” Dawkins told Fox News Digital. “Sebastian makes suits.[His]mental health is off the charts.”
“When you're bigger, it's hard to go into a store and get sized up. You have to make the decision for yourself,” said the offensive tackle, who is listed on the Bills roster as 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds. “We have to plan to fly.”
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Led by head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills finished the regular season with an 11-6 record and qualified for their fifth consecutive postseason berth in 2023. The Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round but lost to the eventual Super Bowl LVIII champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
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