I am feeling pretty good about this roster...

Quarterbacks (3)

1. Josh Allen
2. Mitchell Trubisky
3. Shane Buechele

The Bills head into another year with a pretty decided quarterback room. Allen is the unquestioned leader of the franchise, and now he’ll need to take on a different form, working with a top group of pass catchers who haven’t been together long. Allen must raise the level of play from the young players surrounding him. Trubisky enters the year as the backup. As soon as the Pittsburgh Steelers released him, the Bills were the odds-on favorites to land him because of how complimentary general manager Brandon Beane was of Trubisky when he became a free agent in 2022. The team likes Buechele, but whether they’ll have a 53-man roster spot for him is the question.

Running backs (5)

1. James Cook
2. Ty Johnson
3. Ray Davis
4. Darrynton Evans
5. Reggie Gilliam (fullback)

After bouncing back from being benched, Cook enters his third season as the unquestioned lead back on the roster with a giant gap between him and either Johnson or the rookie Davis. Cook should continue to push toward some of the heaviest involvement the Bills have seen in recent years out of their top back. Johnson returned on a one-year deal and provided spark. His game is more like Cook’s, so he’ll likely have a game day role when Cook needs a breather. The Bills hope Davis, their fourth-round pick, brings what they’ve wanted to add to the group for years — power and short-yardage ability. It’s unclear how significant Davis’ role will be, but there’s a world where he jumps Johnson on the depth chart before the season begins. Don’t be surprised if wide receiver Curtis Samuel mixes into the backfield as well, given his history with offensive coordinator Joe Brady when they were with the Carolina Panthers.

Wide receivers (10)

X1. Keon Coleman
Z1. Curtis Samuel
Slot1. Khalil Shakir
4. Mack Hollins (X)
5. Justin Shorter (X)
6. K.J. Hamler (Z, Slot)
7. Andy Isabella (Slot)
8. Tyrell Shavers (X, Z)
9. Quintez Cephus (X, Z)
10. Bryan Thompson (Slot, Z)

Even after using their top choice on a wide receiver, this group is the weakest in several seasons. Out of their top four, the only player the Bills have who has worked with Allen in the past is Shakir, and he might not have a ceiling higher than a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver. The Bills will need Coleman or Samuel to step up in a big way besides Shakir. Coleman has a lot of potential, though asking a 21-year-old to produce in a way he never has at a higher level of football seems like asking for too much, too soon. The depth is an issue, with a journeyman veteran, Mack Hollins, as their top reserve and nothing but big question marks afterward. This wide receivers group looks primed for another addition before the 2024 season. After the draft, Beane shot down the notion of trading for a big-name receiver. However, they could still pick up an experienced receiver just hanging around in free agency when June rolls around.

Tight ends (5)

1. Dalton Kincaid
2. Dawson Knox
3. Quintin Morris
4. Tre’ McKitty
5. Zach Davidson

With an unproven receivers unit, Allen might need to depend on Kincaid to pick up a hearty amount of slack to keep the offense moving the way they want it to. It depends on their vision for him in 2024. The Bills moved away from heavy usage of 12 personnel early in the year and mostly settled into 11 personnel. If that’s the plan again this year, how the Bills divvy up snaps between Kincaid and Knox will be interesting. Knox likely knows a reduced role is on the way, though he is a favorite of Allen’s in the locker room, so it remains to be seen how much he’ll be on the sidelines. Morris returns as the third tight end and a core special teams player. He has the edge on McKitty and Davidson for the likely final tight end spot on the 53-man roster.

Offensive tackles (7)

LT1. Dion Dawkins
RT1. Spencer Brown
3. Ryan Van Demark
4. La’el Collins
5. Tylan Grable
6. Richard Gouraige
7. Travis Clayton

The Bills enter the year with the most confidence they’ve ever had in their starting offensive tackles. Dawkins had one of his best years in 2023 and signed a contract extension, and Brown put together a fantastic second half of the season and, should that continue, looks like a hit of a third-round pick from the 2021 class. That didn’t stop the Bills from investing in the position in some capacity. Van Demark returns as the favorite for the backup swing tackle job, and the Bills have every incentive to continue developing him as they have three more years of roster control on him (ERFA in 2025, RFA in 2026). Collins’ best years are behind him, though he can provide good depth at tackle and guard. Grable, a sixth-round rookie, likely needs to beat veteran interior offensive lineman Will Clapp for a spot on the 53-man roster this year. The Bills can stash Clayton on the practice squad as a part of the International Pathway Program.

C1. Connor McGovern
LG1. David Edwards
RG1. O’Cyrus Torrence
4. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
5. Alec Anderson
6. Will Clapp
7. Kevin Jarvis
8. Tommy Doyle

If you’re looking for a sneaky competition this summer, the interior offensive line might provide it. McGovern will be a starter, though where he lines up could depend on how he performs at center in camp and whether Anderson or the fifth-round rookie Van Pran-Granger make a push to start by outperforming Edwards. Van Pran-Granger played center throughout college, and Anderson can play at left guard or center. We might see several line combinations mixing and matching at those two positions. The likeliest outcome is they head into the season with McGovern and Edwards as starters, see how they perform, then reassess a month into the season. Clapp needs to earn his spot on the 53-man roster after the Bills picked two offensive linemen on Day 3 of the draft. He might be best suited for one of their veteran practice squad spots.

Edge rushers (7)

LE1. Greg Rousseau
RE1. A.J. Epenesa
3. Von Miller
4. Kingsley Jonathan
5. Javon Solomon
6. Casey Toohill
7. Kameron Cline

Rousseau enters the campaign as their top defensive end. They already picked up his fifth-year option, which was an easy decision for them, but they’re getting to a point where they’ll need to decide if they are investing a second contract in him. Now that Leonard Floyd is gone, it would be in their best interest to keep Rousseau on his most natural pass-rushing side, the left, after putting him on the right side for most of his snaps last year. Epenesa helps because he’s a natural right-side rusher and looks primed to be the starter this season. In what could be his last year with the team, Miller will likely cede starting snaps to Rousseau and Epenesa and be a rotational rusher unless he shows he is the same player as before his torn ACL in 2022. Jonathan and Solomon have legit claims to the 53-man roster, and Toohill is likely on the outside looking in. Like receiver, this position still feels light, so don’t be surprised to see a spring or summer addition to round out their rotation.

Defensive tackles (6)

3TDT. Ed Oliver
1TDT. DaQuan Jones
3. Austin Johnson
4. DeWayne Carter
5. DeShawn Williams
6. Eli Ankou

There are no questions atop the depth chart with Oliver and Jones. They are two of the best players on the roster. After them, the Bills hoped their group of rotational defensive tackles would realize their potential over the last two years, but it never happened and was a constant weakness. They needed a refresh. So they let Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips and Poona Ford walk and brought in Austin Johnson and the third-round rookie Carter as the top backups behind Oliver and Jones. Williams could stick, though his contract makes it easy to cut him and likely bring him back in a practice squad role. The current odds are that they only keep four with this group this year.

Linebackers (6)

WLB1. Matt Milano
MLB1. Terrel Bernard
3. Dorian Williams (WLB)
4. Baylon Spector (MLB)
5. Edefuan Ulofoshio (WLB)
6. Nicholas Morrow (MLB)

The big question in the linebackers group is not who the starters will be but how soon Milano can play. The last update the Bills gave about Milano was April 18, when the linebacker was still “working through his deal” and rehabbing the injury in Buffalo. They have yet to provide a timetable for his return, though given when the injury occurred, early in 2023, the outside expectation is he’ll be ready for the season. Bernard is the starting middle linebacker again, looking to capitalize on a solid first season. The Bills likely are looking at Bernard in a leadership role this year. Williams will get every opportunity to win the primary backup job, though he was rough around the edges as a rookie. Spector will battle him for the top reserve role while being a locked-in special teams contributor. The Bills could choose to keep six linebackers this year as usual. But if they need to clear a spot for another position, it will be between Morrow and the fifth-round rookie Ulofoshio for the fifth and final spot — with Ulofoshio likely getting the benefit of the doubt.

Cornerbacks (7)

Boundary
1. Rasul Douglas
2. Christian Benford
3. Kaiir Elam
4. Ja’Marcus Ingram
5. Kyron Brown

Nickel
1. Taron Johnson
2. Cam Lewis
3. Daequan Hardy

The Bills likely are intent on figuring out the future of their boundary cornerbacks group during the 2024 season. Douglas is a starter but only signed through the end of the season. Benford likely will be the other starting cornerback again and is signed through 2025. But the big question is Elam. That’s whom they need to find out about the most during the year. Elam’s fifth-year option for the 2026 season is due in May 2025. If he proves himself to be more than a flashy yet inconsistent player in his third season, the 2022 first-round pick will have a solid opportunity to start opposite Benford in 2025. But if he continues to do more of the same in practice, preseason and regular-season opportunities, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Bills to try to reach a one-year extension with Douglas. All options are on the table. The Bills could also add a low-cost veteran as their fourth boundary cornerback this season. At nickel, Taron Johnson is one of their best players, and Lewis or the sixth-round pick Hardy will be his primary backup. Lewis usually practices with the safeties, so we’re not counting him at cornerback for the roster numbers but at safety.

Safeties (6)

1. Taylor Rapp
2. Cole Bishop
3. Mike Edwards
4. Cam Lewis
5. Damar Hamlin
6. Kendall Williamson

This position seems entirely up in the air, though considering their investments, the Bills would like it if Rapp and Bishop took hold of the starting jobs in the summer. Rapp seems the safest bet to be on the first team through the spring and summer. It would not be surprising if the Bills gave Bishop, Edwards and Lewis a chance to earn it with the top unit in practice. Hamlin looks like he’s on the outside looking in on the roster this year. The Bills’ trading him at some point before the season would not be a surprise, either.

Specialists (4)

Kicker: Tyler Bass
Punters: Sam Martin, Matt Haack
Long snapper: Reid Ferguson

After a one-year hiatus, it looks like we’ll have a return of the #Puntapalooza (!), with Martin getting some competition from Haack and possibly from a reported undrafted rookie punter. If there are indeed three punters heading to Bills training camp, a new stopwatch will be heading to the Buscaglia residence.

Saw this on Keon’s instagram story, what better way to welcome him as a Buffalo Bill than show him how much this community cares!

Donate here

p.s. Madden 24 is only $13 in the PlayStation store right now.

The Buffalo Bills began filling out their 90- man roster following the NFL draft signing numerous UDFAs to the roster for OTA’s & training camp.

Read inside for injury analysis on each UDFA & possible concerns.

https://bangedupbills.com/2024/05/01/2024-nfl-draft-buffalo-bills-udfa-injury-analysis/

Our top 3 WRs jersey numbers are:

Keon Coleman - 0

Curtis Samuel - 1

Khalil Shakir - 10

It's stupid and random, I know. But Josh just has to think in binary this season.

“Buffalo Bills

Post-free agency rank: 10

Brugler’s draft ranking: 20

The draft was another reminder that the Bills are in a controlled rebuild. They traded all the way out of the first round to add more affordable assets to the roster. The good news is they still came away with a pretty good receiver with their first pick, taking Florida State’s Keon Coleman with the first choice of the second round. If Coleman can develop a quick connection with Josh Allen, it will go a long way toward stabilizing Buffalo’s reset. “

Buffalo Bills: Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C/G, Georgia

One of the sneakier needs the Bills had across their roster was along the interior offensive line. After moving on from former starting center Mitch Morse and key reserve Ryan Bates this offseason, the Bills were left with only Alec Anderson and Will Clapp as their primary interior backups. Getting a borderline Day 2 grade from Brugler and nearly cracking the Top 100, Van Pran-Granger enters the equation with potential to one day push for a starting job at either center or guard. If the Connor McGovern experiment at center does not go well in 2024, there could be an opening there. — Joe Buscaglia

2022

We now have the full rookie jersey number list thanks to the Bills releasing a few and then https://twitter.com/nfl_jersey_num

Keon Coleman - 0

Cole Bishop - 24

Dewayne Carter - 90

Ray Davis - 22

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger - 62

Edefuan Olofoshio - 48

Javon Solomon - 56

Tylan Grable - 68

Daequan Hardy - 25

Travis Clayton - 67

Pats are last at +2200!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This alone makes me hyped for football again!!

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Let's GO BUFFALO!!

Watching Keon's presser reminded me a lot of all the great Tre moments.

The snow game against Indy where Tre was dancing on the field led me to get his jersey.

After spring training and preseason in what order do you think they will place in?

WR1: WR2: Etc.