What Will Campbell said about training with Bills counterpart

As he prepares for his second NFL season, Will Campbell spent some time in the offseason training with a group of Pro Bowl-caliber left tackles.

Tristan Wirfs, Lane Johnson and Rashawn Slater were among those mentioned by Campbell.

Campbell said he would be “stupid” not to take the opportunity to learn from other players who have reached the level he is trying to reach.

“They’ve all played for about 10-plus years, and they’ve all turned pro at some point,” Campbell said. “So, yeah, I mean they know what they’re talking about.”

He’s no better than taking advice from his rival either. Campbell was unfamiliar with Buffalo left tackle Dion Dawkins before this season. Now, Dawkins is a valuable contact.

“A guy that I didn’t really know before I went out there, but I definitely feel like I could reach out to if I needed to is Dion Dawkins,” Campbell said. “I’d never met him before. I’d met Wiervs and I knew Len a little bit, but Dion was probably a guy I didn’t know and we got to know each other a little bit.”

The Patriots and Bills split the regular season series last year. Every year since 2009, It was the Bills or Patriots that won the AFC East. The Bills will likely win the division this year. New England won it last year.

Campbell was enjoying a solid rookie season before an MCL injury sidelined him for several weeks and hampered him through the second half of the season.

Focus on professional football Campbell gave the tackles an overall grade of 72.6, which ranked 32nd among qualifying tackles, including players on both the left and right sides. His passing grade was 23. He allowed 26 pressures and Five bags During the 17-game regular season schedule. The bulk of the sacks were against Myles Garrett, a five-time first-team All-Pro selection.

The playoffs were a different story. Campbell allowed 14 pressures in the Super Bowl, the highest single-game total of any NFL player all season.

Campbell says he is healthy now and added that he feels great. He reached out to Johnson in an attempt to improve his game. He has made some new connections and learned from many quality players in his position.

“Just a ton of knowledge. I’ve worked with a lot of people who have been around a long time and done it at a high level for a long time,” Campbell said. “Anything they can teach me can help me whether it’s in football or off the field or just training or being around them in the same environment. I always want to put myself in the best position possible.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khary Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khary covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.