TAMPA, Fla. — A 53-man roster projection exercise in July before the Buffalo Bills started training camp was straightforward.
Most starters and backups seemed entrenched, with a few end-of-the-roster bubble players worth discussing.
It’s been a month since the Bills opened camp, and several injuries have produced intriguing roster decisions for general manager Brandon Beane.
The Bills’ top three cornerbacks entering camp didn’t make the trip to Tampa for the preseason finale because of injuries. Those who were on the field late could be a key indicator when it comes to predicting the outcome of next week’s final roster cuts.
Let’s go through each position and attempt to land on the best guess for the Bills’ initial 53-man roster. Beane has until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to make the final choices.
QB: Josh Allen, Mitch Trubisky (2)
Cut: Mike White, Shane Buechele
The backup quarterback battle between Trubisky and White was one of the most intriguing storylines of the summer. White seemed poised to win the job for most of training camp before Trubisky pulled ahead with one strong preseason outing.
Actually, it was more about White’s late struggles than anything special from Trubisky. White threw a bad interception against the Chicago Bears during the joint practice last week. Then he failed to move the ball or generate much offense against the starters in the preseason game two days later.
Fourth-string quarterback Shane Buechele had the best performance of any Bills quarterback this preseason on Saturday night. He completed 25 of 30 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown. If White gets scooped up by another team, then Buechele will likely be in play for the practice squad. The Bills may even keep two quarterbacks if they can.
RB: James Cook, Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Reggie Gilliam (4)
Cut: Frank Gore Jr., Elijah Young
Gore Jr. had the kind of summer performance that would earn him a roster spot on plenty of teams in the NFL. The problem for Gore is that the Bills have one of the strongest running back rooms in the NFL.
One fun scenario I toyed with was having the Bills keep Gore as a kick or punt returner. But there doesn’t seem to be a path to him getting a jersey on game days. If the Bills do cut him, there is a strong likelihood that he’ll land on another team’s 53-man roster.
WR: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Tyrell Shavers, K.J. Hamler (7)
Cut: Laviska Shenault, Kristian Wilkerson, Stephen Gosnell, Deon Cain, Grant Dubose
If the Bills don’t keep Shavers after the preseason he just had, they won’t be able to get him back on their practice squad. He can be a valuable and versatile receiver, but his developing special teams acumen makes him a no-brainer when it comes to roster cuts.
The Bills have a hard decision to make with Samuel, who missed the entire preseason. He was working his way back from a hamstring injury when he became ill 24 hours before the trip to Tampa and didn’t travel for the game.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the game that availability is a part of the evaluation.
“Therein lies part of the evaluation, is to say, hey, we have to take the full sample of the work and figure out what’s best for the team,” he said. “And, you know, availability is a piece of it, right? And yet, nobody has a crystal ball. So some people then make it through the whole season, even though they, you know, experience some speed bumps in training camp and whatnot.”
The Bills are unlikely to cut Samuel because of a hefty deadcap penalty on this season’s salary cap. A trade is also doubtful because of the salary cap ramifications for the team acquiring him. Bill’s offensive coordinator Joe Brady has long been a fan of Samuel and thinks he’ll be a productive piece of the offense when healthy. But just being healthy has been his biggest challenge.
Moore had a quiet summer after making waves upon arrival in the spring with a good minicamp. However, he can play every receiver spot and has been featured in the slot with Shakir missing with a foot injury. Hamler gets the nod over Shenault and returner Brandon Codrington because of his ability as a playmaker and his presence in the locker room.
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes (3)
Cut: Zach Davidson, Matt Sokol, Kelecki Latu
Davidson was one of the stars of the final preseason game, but it’s unlikely he’ll beat out rookie Jackson Hawes for the third tight end spot. Davidson boomed a 62-yard punt in the place of Brad Robbins, who was ill and missed the Tampa game.
OL: Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Connor McGovern, David Edwards, O’Cyrus Torrence, Tylan Grable, Alec Anderson, Ryan Van Demark, Kendrick Green (9)
Reserve PUP: Sedrick Van Pran Granger
Cut: Richard Gouraige, Chase Lundt, Mike Edwards, Travis Clayton, Jacob Beyer, Dan Feeney, Rush Reimer
Lundt is the hard cut, but the rookie just wasn’t reliable enough in his time at tackle and inside at guard. The preseason tape shouldn’t warrant much interest around the league, and the Bills should cut him and hope to get him back on the practice squad.
Van Pran Granger has been out all summer with a calf injury. The Bills can work him back slowly by keeping him on the PUP list. Anderson and Grable can both play inside and outside. Green has center flexibility and has had a strong summer to earn the final o-line spot.
EDGE: Greg Rousseau, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon (5)
SUSPENDED: Michael Hoecht
CUT: Paris Shand, Nelson Ceaser
If Hoecht weren’t set to miss the first six games with a suspension, Solomon would be in some trouble. The second-year pass rusher struggled to make an impact this summer and will be fighting to stay on the roster by impressing while Hoecht is sidelined. Epenesa played a lot of snaps over the final two preseason games. The Bills are expected to still lean on him to start with Hoecht out, but his role may change once Hoecht returns.
DT: Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, DeWayne Carter, T.J. Sanders, Deone Walker (5)
SUSPENDED: Larry Ogunjobi
Cut: Zion Logue, Marcus Harris, Casey Rogers
Carter changed positions this offseason, going from a three-technique tackle to Jones’s backup at one technique. He didn’t make many splash plays outside of a nice stop in the Bears game on a screen pass. He’ll get a spot because Ogunjobi is also set to miss the first six games. But Carter could be auditioning for a permanent spot over the first month.
LB: Terrel Bernard, Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, Shaq Thompson (5)
Cut: Jimmy Ciarlo, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Keonta Jenkins
Ciarlo ended up being the toughest cut because he’s made such a tremendous impact since signing on Aug. 6. He’s been a special teams standout and even worked in at linebacker despite just joining a new defense. Baylon Spector finally ran out of time with an endless list of injuries since he arrived in 2022. Thompson has missed some time, but he figures to be a veteran backup the team can count on in the playoffs. Ciarlo should be a priority practice squad candidate, while former fifth-round pick Ulofoshio underwhelmed again.
CB: Christian Benford, Tre’Davious White, Dorian Strong, Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis, Ja’Marcus Ingram (6)
Injured Reserve: Maxwell Hairston
Cut: Dane Jackson, Zy Alexander, Daequan Hardy, Garnett Hollis Jr.
McDermott said after the game that the Bills are still going over MRI results on White’s lower leg injury that occurred in Thursday’s practice. If it’s a short-term injury, he’ll make the team. If it’ll keep him out longer, the Bills can also place the injured reserve tag on him, like they likely will on Maxwell Hairston. The rookie still seems at least several weeks away from resuming full-speed football activity. Starting the season on IR gives him time to heal and slowly work back into game shape fully.
Jackson is another tough cut but he played into the fourth quarter on Saturday. Rookie Dorian Strong seems to have passed him on the depth chart and Ingram is a core special teams player with the ability to play multiple spots on defense.
S: Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jordan Hancock (4)
Cut: Tre Herndon, Darrick Forrest
Herndon outplayed Forrest, and that’s quite an indictment on Forrest, who had all summer and the spring in Buffalo’s defense. Hancock was arguably the Bills’ most consistent rookie performer before a shoulder injury cost him the final preseason game. Cole Bishop had a strong game against the Buccaneers, but Hancock seemed to be pushing himself into the safety no. 2 competition before his injury.
SPECIALISTS: Tyler Bass, Brad Robbins, Reid Ferguson (3)
Cut: Brandon Codrington
Codrington is the best returner on the team, but he doesn’t offer much else. Hamler can return kicks and provide some juice on offense. If the Bills need to keep an extra cornerback, they can cut Hamler, Codrington, and Shenault and see which one they can land back on their practice squad.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.