Buffalo Bills 53-man roster and depth chart projection: OTAs edition

A deep look at both roster locks and unexpected acquisitions in this Bills 53-man roster forecast, plus catch up with the latest episode of “Leading The Charge”

The Buffalo Bills have just begun their preparations for the 2024 NFL season, having completed the second week of OTAs. It’s our first chance to see new faces in Bills apparel, and it’s also the coaches’ first chance to speak with players and picture how they’ll be used when the season starts.

With that in mind, it’s never too early to look at the roster and, based on the facts we have right now, try to predict which players would be starters and who would make the 53-man roster if the season began today.

Here’s a look at the team’s OTA active roster, according to Sal Capaccio:

The Bills begin OTAs today. They are purely voluntary. Here is their current roster. pic.twitter.com/hfz0bv4Bv8

— Sal Capaccio (@SalSports), May 21, 2024.
Without further ado, here’s my first attempt at forecasting the Bills’ 2024 NFL season Week 1 roster.

Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster, 2024 OTAs edition
Quarterbacks (2)
Starter: Josh Allen.
Reserve: Mitch Trubisky.
There are no surprises here. Josh is the franchise’s face, and the team is only as good as Josh. Trubisky was added back to the roster to provide a familiar face as the backup quarterback. There is no reason to carry a third quarterback on the 53-man roster.

Running backs (3)
Starter: James Cook.
Reserves: Ty Johnson and Ray Davis
Cook is the starter and a rising NFL star, capable of taking the offence to new heights. Johnson has established himself as a reliable number-two back, providing speed and consistency off the bench. Davis was a very effective player in college and has demonstrated that he can rapidly adapt to different teams and perform in whatever role is required. He will surely contribute as a rookie.

With this group, I don’t see the need for a fourth running back on the roster; there’s always the option of keeping a good one on the practice squad, which will undoubtedly happen. Right now, it’s unclear if it will be Frank Gore Jr. or a seasoned vet.

Wide receivers (6)
Starters: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Keon Coleman.
Reserves include Marques Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins, and Chase Claypool.

Despite the turnover in this room, I believe the top five are already established: Shakir, Samuel, and Coleman as the three versatile starters, with MVS rotating in as the group’s field-stretcher. Mack Hollins appears to be a shrewd veteran who will be ready to come in whenever required in the offence while also playing an important role on special teams.

Atlanta Falcons vs Chicago Bears.
Mack Hollins should play a key role on special teams.
Then there’s the sixth wide receiver: will the Bills keep him on the roster? I believe so. Without a fourth running back, they can add a sixth receiver as long as he provides special teams value. Claypool, Justin Shorter, and Tyrell Shavers are large, strong men who offer size, catch radius, and the potential to be special teams gunners. K.J. Hamler and Andy Isabella are offensive standouts, but they might also compete for the returner position.

At this point, I have to go with Claypool. He’s the player who has performed the best in his NFL career thus far, and given how impressed head coach Sean McDermott has been with his early commitment, it’s difficult not to rank him ahead of his teammates right now.

Tight Ends/Fullbacks(4)
Starter: Dalton Kincaid.
Reserves include Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris, and Reggie Gilliam.
In my opinion, this group is almost completely locked. Kincaid is the team’s new starter and will most likely be the main point of the passing assault. Despite the fact that many people have written him off, Knox will continue to be an important contributor. In fact, I was hesitant to name the third wide receiver (who you believe will be the primary slot option between Shakir and Samuel) as a starter instead of Knox. We’ll see a lot of 12-personnel (one back, two tight ends), and the veteran will be a mainstay.

Quintin Morris is the Bills’ most reliable backup tight end option when Kincaid or Knox are unavailable for whatever reason. Gilliam is a vital member of the special teams and a true fullback who can also play tight end when necessary.

Offensive Line (10).
Starters: Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence, and Spencer Brown.
Reserves: Ryan Van Demark, La’el Collins, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Alec Anderson, and Tylan Grable
Despite some turnover in this room, I do not see many contests for starting positions among the group right now. Dawkins, Torrence, and Brown are locked in at the left tackle, right guard, and right tackle positions, respectively. Then, as you listen to the coaches and McGovern himself discuss the switch to centre, it becomes clear that shifting him to the pivot was always the idea. They all seem quite enthused about it.

NFL: December 23 Bills at Chargers
McGovern, known as the “tip of the spear,” appears to be pleased about his new assignment. Photo: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.
The only spot open would be left guard, and Collins has played there before. However, Edwards was a starter at left guard for offensive line coach Aaron Kromer’s Super Bowl-winning club and has been with the Bills longer. Short of a disastrous training camp and preseason, it is his responsibility to lose.

Collins should be the first option off the bench, particularly at guard or right tackle. Van Demark and Anderson are young veterans who the Bills have lately retained and worked with, and it appears they are pleased with their progress. Van Pran-Granger has a lot of promise at centre and will also work out as a guard.

Carrying 10 offensive lineman may appear problematic, but the Bills have lately lost several draft picks while attempting to slot some of those individuals on the practice squad (Alex Austin, Nick Broecker, and Jack Anderson come to mind). So, with the emphasis on youth this summer, I can see general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott making an additional effort to keep players like Grable on the 53-man roster.

Defensive Line (10).
Starters: Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, and Von Miller.
Reserves include Dawuane Smoot, DeWayne Carter, Austin Johnson, A.J. Epenesa, DeShawn Williams, and Javon Solomon.

Rousseau, Oliver, and Jones, three of Buffalo’s four starters from last year, are returning. Miller will also return, and ideally he will be more like the Von we saw when he initially came, rather than the post-injury, ghostly version from 2023. I have him as a starter above Epenesa for a couple of reasons: I still believe he can make some good contributions, and I still don’t trust the former second-round pick as an every-down edge.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills.
A fully recovered Von Miller may greatly benefit the Bills in 2024. Photograph by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images.
Epenesa will remain valuable as the top option off the bench, creating the second unit with Smoot, Johnson, and one of Carter (the brilliant rookie) or Williams (the seasoned vet who has been a starter on his past two teams). Solomon rounds out the group as a third-down specialist; he will likely take some time to develop into a well-rounded 4-3 edge, but he can make an early impact by rushing the passer.

Linebacker (6)
Starters: Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano.
Reserves: Dorian Williams, Nicholas Morrow, Deion Jones, and Edefuan Ulofoshio.
The Bills typically start only two linebackers, with nickel cornerback Taron Johnson basically filling in as the weakside linebacker in the standard 4-3 defence. With that stated, we witnessed last season how important it is to have quality depth at the position, and it appears Brandon Beane made certain that he would not find himself in the same situation he had last season in terms of linebacker depth.

Bernard and Milano are unquestionably the starters and leaders in this room. Those men, when they work together, can have such an impact on the game that I believe they are the key to the defensive unit’s success. They will be critical to the pass defence, not just for their coverage talents, but also for their ability to aid the pass rush as blitzers. Milano and Bernard’s interchangeability is critical for concealing the defense’s appearance, essentially replacing what Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer were able to do from the safety position previously.

However, it is no secret that the Bills’ top linebackers are not the best players in the world. Their modest size for the position may contribute to them getting nicked more frequently than we’d want to see. As he enters his second year, I expect Williams to emerge as the go-to replacement anytime one of the starters is forced to sit. Morrow, a veteran with expertise with the green dot, calls the defence for the Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Deion Jones, a former Atlanta Falcons All-Pro, has even more experience than Morrow. Jones, once one of the best linebackers in the NFL, is clearly past his prime and hasn’t performed at that level in his previous two trips with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers. Anyway, even in the twilight of his career, I believe he joined the squad to fill the role envisioned for Christian Kirksey a year ago, which was later filled by A.J. Klein was brought in out of necessity — a seasoned veteran who can serve as a field coach as well as a film room assistant. He can bring more worth to the position than the frequently injured Baylon Spector. Ulofoshio, a rookie, should be able to fill Spector’s role in special teams.

Defensive backs (9).
Starters: Rasul Douglas, Christian Benford, Taron Johnson, Cole Bishop, and Taylor Rapp.
Reserves: Kaiir Elam, Mike Edwards, Cam Lewis, and JaMarcus Ingram.
Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins

Christian Benford has established himself as an excellent starting cornerback for the Bills. Photo: Perry Knotts/Getty Images
Douglas and Benford start outside, with All-Pro Taron Johnson at the nickel position. Then, I see Bishop and Rapp as the starting right now. Edwards, the free-agent signing, has yet to practise with his new teammates due to a shoulder issue, but he should have enough time to show himself and compete for a starting position.

Cam Lewis, an underdog in the battle for a starting safety spot, may surprise some people if he performs as well as he did last offseason. He also serves as Johnson’s backup in the slot. Elam is attempting to save his Bills career and will be the first option off the bench, at least for now. Ingram is a man who has stuck around and demonstrated some ability. Depending on how this tandem performs in the preseason, Buffalo may look to the preseason cuts or maybe the trade market to get more consistency from their backup outside corners.

Specialists: (3)
Starters: Tyler Bass, Sam Martin, and Reid Ferguson.
Bass will make the team again; his deal is too harsh for the Bills to let go of him right now, and there’s no guarantee they can do better than him. He wasn’t as good last season, but we’ve seen his potential before. Hopefully, a rebound season is on the way. Ferguson is a special team mainstay.

Then there’s the punter competition between Martin and undrafted rookie Jack Browning, with Matt Haack released on Friday, May 31, so the team may sign the now positionless Gable Steveson.

The Bills’ decision to play an ailing Martin rather than Haack against the Kansas City Chiefs last postseason may have harmed Haack from the outset. Browning, on the other hand, is considered a legitimate candidate. The possessor of a powerful leg capable of kicking through the strong winds of Orchard Park, NY — it reminds me of when the Bills drafted Matt Araiza to become the team’s long-term solution at the position, only to be undone by his off-the-field problems.

Despite significant competition, I’d still go with Martin as my first option. The Bills could have avoided paying him a $1 million-plus roster bonus, but they didn’t. They brought in some competition, but none of them are as consistent as Martin is right now. We’ll see if Browning can impress during his camp and preseason opportunities.

Team captains (8)
Josh Allen, Dion Dawkins, Dawson Knox, Von Miller, Terrell Bernard, Taron Johnson, Mack Hollins, and Reid Ferguson
The Bills had eight team captains last season, so I chose to use this number again. Three captains on offence, three on defence, and two in special teams.

New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills.
Terrel Bernard is the true leader of the Bills’ new defensive scheme. Photograph by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images.
On offence, Allen is a no-brainer; he will be the team captain for the sixth consecutive season. Dawkins, who was previously a team captain but lost it for some reason, is now ready to take on the leadership of the offensive line group and regain the ‘C’ on his chest. Knox, one of the team’s longest-tenured offensive players, should be counted on to lead the pass-catching group.

On defence, Miller is a walking legend, and I can’t imagine a universe in which his teammates don’t elect him captain. Bernard, on the other hand, has established himself as the actual leader and quarterback of the defence, and he will properly wear the “C” on his breast for the first time in his career. Johnson is the last remaining member of Buffalo’s legendary defensive backfield, and he should take over as head of the newly retooled unit.

Ferguson is the most dependable player on special teams, and by all accounts, Hollins has already taken on a leadership position among his new teammates, and Brandon Beane recently labelled him as a “glue guy” — always encouraging towards his teammates.

Final thoughts.
I struggled to cut Daequan Hardy, a rookie cornerback/kick returner. He could definitely win the return job and become a backup nickel, and as I have stated, Beane may do everything he can to prevent losing his 2024 draft picks. The problem is that in order to keep Hardy, I may have to cut another rookie, and with McDermott himself saying that he expects more star players to be willing to play special teams and take on return responsibilities after the rule changes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see guys like Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and even James Cook get some looks there.
K.J. is another player who might serve as the team’s returner specialist while also contributing offensively as a deep threat. Hamler. I don’t think the Bills will have seven wide receivers on their roster, but it’s not impossible. If Hamler adds significant special teams value, it would be comparable to carrying six receivers and four running backs.
In both of the scenarios described above, the offensive line would be cut to free up a roster place. Right now, I would go with Anderson.