New Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer gave a good answer when asked at his introductory news conference how he would write a scouting report on himself.
“I take a lot of pride in being able to run the entire route tree,” the 25-year-old Palmer said. “Being able to be outside and inside, the ability to stop, the ability to go deep, the ability to win in different situations.
Josh Palmer Chargers Giants
New Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer scores a touchdown for the Los Angeles Chargers in a game in 2021. Gregory Bull, Associated Press
“So being able to run a slant route, but five different ways if I have to,” Palmer said. “I take a lot of pride in that, in the way I train, the way I work out and the way I approach the offense and the scheme. So I would say those are my strengths today.”
Palmer’s answer was intriguing because it spoke directly to a missing element in the Bills’ wide receiving corps that they hope he will fill.
Get open five different ways on a slant route. Ding-ding-ding. Buffalo needs a wide receiver who can win outside the numbers against man-to-man coverage. The Bills have a difference-maker in the middle of the field in slot receiver Khalil Shakir, and another key over-the-middle target in tight end Dalton Kincaid. They have a big target outside the numbers who they hope will ascend in Keon Coleman. He’s a contested-catch guy, not a separator.
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While Palmer did not put up overwhelming numbers in four seasons with the Chargers, he did show the ability to get separation, even against top cornerbacks like Denver star Patrick Surtain II.
"Love Josh’s game," said Bills general manager Brandon Beane. "I'd say the first thing is excellent route runner. He does not give indicators. A lot of guys give indicators whether they’re about to stop, break. He sets guys up. If you watch his film last year, there were a couple touchdowns that got missed that he double-moved. On the card he’s around 4.5, but I’d say his play speed’s faster. Builds speed when he’s up and running."
Palmer said getting separation at the top of a route when he makes his break is something he takes pride in.
“For sure, a lot of leg-strengthening exercises to be able to do that,” Palmer said. “Trust me, coming from basketball to football, that wasn't easy in high school, figuring out how to stop. So I've always put a lot of emphasis on that, and I've grown a lot in that department. I want to be the best at it, to make Josh's life a lot easier.”
The Bills signed Palmer for three years at $12 million a year, with $18 million guaranteed. The guaranteed total ranks 36th among wide receivers, according to Spotrac.com.
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It remains to be seen if Palmer is a good fit here, but he’s known as a great route runner who gets separation. That’s something the Bills sorely lacked last year in their receiver room, Jay Skurski says.
Palmer had 72 catches for 769 yards in 2022, taking advantage of a big boost in targets due to an injury to then-Chargers star Keenan Allen. He went back to being a complementary target the past two seasons. He had 38 catches for 581 yards (a 15.3-yard average) in 2023 and 39 for 584 (a 15.0-yard average) in 2024. His yards per catch average last season was tied for 11th among wideouts with at least 30 catches. The Bills’ Coleman averaged 19.2 yards on 29 catches.
With plenty of options in the passing game, the Bills don’t need Palmer to be a 70-catch player. (Shakir led the team with 76 last season.)
They need a reliable outside-the-numbers option. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Palmer can play both the X-WR spot, on the far side of the formation opposite the tight end) or the Z-WR spot (the flanker position, off the line of scrimmage on the same side as the tight end).
“I played wherever they needed me to play,” Palmer said. “I play receiver. I try not to say I play Z (slot), X, Y – I play receiver.”
Palmer was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, Ontario. He said he was much more of a basketball fan than an NFL fan growing up, but he did come to a preseason game in Orchard Park as a youngster.
“I would like to say it's like a homecoming, I feel like I just signed with the Canadian team,” Palmer joked. “But no, it's awesome. A lot closer to home. I feel like everything is just coming full circle. And since I've been here, it has been very reassuring. ... I’ve just been getting the same message since I've been here. From top to bottom, from the weight room staff to the player development staff, from my receiver coach, OC Coach (Joe) Brady, just it's reassuring.”
Palmer said his parents and much of his family still live in Toronto and the suburb of Woodbridge.
“Of course, it's not the Toronto Bills, it's the Buffalo Bills,” Palmer said. “So I'm extremely thankful for what I'm learning is the Bills Mafia. I'm sure they're a terrific fan base that I'm glad to be a part of. I'm very close to home, so it's easier to see family. The family can come down pretty much whenever they feel like it. I learned there's no direct flights to Toronto, so you have to drive. But it probably saves you a lot of time. It's only like an hour and 40 minutes, that includes the border. So I'll be home quite a bit. And, I have a lot of family out here.”
Palmer had a reputation as a hard worker and good teammate with the Chargers.
“He’s very diligent,” Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said last season. “Josh is a very meticulous guy, very detail-oriented, and it shows in his play because he takes what (receivers coach) Sanjay Lal talks about in technique and you can immediately see it in practice. Even if he knows he’s not getting the ball, he’s working on something.”
Palmer’s approach should fit with the team-first mantra offensive coordinator Brady preaches to the skill-position cast.
“I’m not going to walk in here and say I’m the missing piece, because that’s not true at all,” Palmer said. “I want to get to know everybody’s strengths and weaknesses and just help everybody grow. Because Coach Brady was telling me, in this offense everybody eats. And I’m excited to see how that unfolds. And they say there’s a lot of selflessness on this team, so that will be great to be a part of.”
Even though he has played in 59 NFL games and caught 184 passes, Palmer doesn’t turn 26 until Sept. 22. He thinks he still has room to grow.
“I think I have a lot of room left, a lot,” he said. “Maybe I’ve scratched the surface, but I think being here, they’ll be able to exploit my strengths and I’ll be able to prove to them and myself that this is the reason you guys want me here and this is the reason I want to be here, with the passion and the dedication and the way I prepare.”
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